Love Fulfilled
by JC-zala
Summary: Athrun Zala has been in love with the princess of ORB, Cagalli Yula Athha since the day he saw her. Now that he has been appointed by Kira as the new bodyguard of Cagalli, will he have the chance to tell the princess how he feels?
1. The New Bodyguard

JC: Hi! Here's another AsuCaga fic! I feel so inspired so I just had to write this. Please read and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer:I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 01: The New Bodyguard

No matter how tough she acted, her girlish charms would always come out. She hated the idea of wearing dresses, but she absolutely looks gorgeous in one. She was one feisty blonde, who could be so selfless and understanding to others. Not only was she a soldier, but she was a princess as well. And this hot-tempered girl was the girl of Athrun's dream.

Athrun Zala, a military soldier of ORB, always had a deep crush on Cagalli Yula Athha. Viewing her from a distance and through the television weren't enough to complete his life. He wanted to be closer to her, to watch her and to admire her as much as he can. With high hopes, he joined the ORB Military and became a great soldier. Striving hard, he managed to reach the rank of Lieutenant. But his rank didn't put him anywhere near the princess. He had to keep trying his best in order to become a bodyguard of Cagalli.

One day, Athrun was summoned by the Head Representative of ORB and brother of the princess, Kira Yamato. He got pretty nervous when he arrived at the ORB Parliament House where Kira was at. He wondered what Kira wanted from him. Surely he didn't do anything to upset him... or maybe it was because of...

_Am I going to be reassigned?_ The question popped into his mind as soon as he entered the Parliament House. He had to say that the place was huge- literally. It seemed more like a labyrinth to him.

"Where should I go next?" He glanced around, trying to figure out where he was. Eventually, he realized that he was lost. "Oh man, this is not good. I bet Representative Yamato will kill me for being late." He began imagining Kira as a stern old man, and his imagination gave him the shivers.

Putting that awful thought aside, Athrun decided to ask someone to direct him to Kira's office. But there was a tiny problem... Nobody was even around to help him! Just his luck!

Suddenly he heard footsteps. The sound was getting nearer and nearer. It sounded like someone was running.

Athrun slowly turned at one corner and before he knew it, he was bumped by somebody. He managed to keep himself from falling, but the other person landed straight on her butt.

"Ah... Hey!" he uttered, turning to the person. "Watch where you're going—" He stopped when he recognized the person. _It's Cagalli Yula Athha! _Athrun screamed in his mind.

"I'm sorry," said Cagalli, staring at the floor, "I was in a hurry." She slowly turned to Athrun with a smile.

Athrun immediately blushed and froze like a statue. _What should I do? _His hands turned cold the minute she tugged his pants. "Um...eh?" He managed to spit out.

Cagalli looked curiously at him. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

Voice stiff, he said, "Yes, I'm all right." Then he reached out his hand, offering to help her up.

And Cagalli gladly took his hand.

Athrun swore that his face was as red as a tomato. _Pull yourself together, Athrun! _He told himself twice. He took a deep breath and smiled at the princess. He didn't know that she was as light as a feather, so he hastily pulled her up.

Due to Athrun's force, Cagalli wasn't able to maintain her balance when she was back on her feet, so she ended up leaning on Athrun's chest!

_I can't believe this is happening, _he thought as he felt the thundering sound of his heart. And he was sure that Cagalli was listening to sound of his heartbeat. Gently, he pushed Cagalli away from him and said, "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," told Cagalli. "I'm sure you didn't mean it."

"Huh?" murmured Athrun, looking straightly at her golden-brown orbs. He had to admit, Cagalli had wonderful eyes. He wanted to look at them a little more until he realized something. Eyes wide, he saluted and said, "I'm sorry for my rudeness!"

Cagalli giggled at his actions. She lifted her hand and also gave a salute. "I'm also a soldier so it's only proper to do this."

"You don't have to since you're superior to me," Athrun said knowingly.

"Please," stated Cagalli, "don't be so formal. It's just the two of us here."

"You're right but still I should..." Cagalli cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. Athrun could feel his cheeks heating up again.

"No buts, okay?" said Cagalli. Athrun nodded silently.

"Princess Cagalli! Princess Cagalli!" Mana called as she strolled through the other side of the hallways looking for the princess.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Cagalli. "It's her. I have to go hide."

Athrun knew that it was one of the maids, but he wondered why Cagalli became restless when she heard the maid's voice. "Princess, what's wrong?" asked Athrun. But before he could here any answers, he was pulled away by Cagalli.

They ran down the halls and into a room. Then she closed the doors and locked it. Cagalli sighed as she seated herself on a couch. "That was close!"

"Princess, why did you bring me here?" Athrun asked.

"Eh?" Cagalli stood and looked straight at Athrun. "Hey, sorry about that... I kinda panicked back there, so I ended up dragging you along." Cagalli bowed her head at him, showing how sorry she was.

"No, it's quite alright," Athrun said, feeling a bit happy being with the princess. Who wouldn't be happy? You get to see and talk to the girl you admire so much! It was a great opportunity for him to know more about her.

But he just remembered that he still has an appointment with Kira. _Oh man, I'm so late. What will Representative Yamato say? I'm sure this will ruin my good record. _He scratched his head in frustration as he leaned his back against the wall. "What will I say to Representative Yamato?" he managed to say it out loud.

"So you're the soldier that my brother summoned..." Cagalli approached him, held his hands, and squeezed them gently. "Aren't you a bit late for your meeting?"

Athrun blinked several times as he stared puzzlingly at the blonde. "The truth is," he groaned, "I am."

Cagalli let out a smile that made Athrun felt warm inside. "Don't worry," said Cagalli, "I'll make sure you won't be punished."

Hearing those words urged Athrun to hug her, but he had to control himself. He was just a soldier and she was a princess. She was willing to help him but the question was why? Yet, he didn't dare to question her decision, so he simply nodded and said, "Thank you."

"No problem!" Cagalli said as she released his hands. "By the way, what's your name? I'm sure you already know me."

"My name is Athrun Zala and it's a pleasure to meet you." Athrun politely bowed at her.

"Didn't I tell you that there is no need of formalities?" Cagalli reminded him.

"I forgot," replied Athrun scratching his head. "I'm sorry."

Cagalli grabbed his hand, making Athrun blush again. He tried to avoid eye contact with her, but he felt like being in a trance just by looking at her golden-brown eyes.

"Come on!" exclaimed Cagalli, pulling Athrun to the door. "I'll take you to my brother." She opened the door and went outside without letting go of the blue-haired soldier. She dragged him all the way to Kira's office. "Here we are!"

Athrun could feel a big lump in his throat. He was about to face the Head Representative of ORB, the supreme leader of the Neutral Country. _I have a bad feeling about this... _he thought, staring nervously at the big oak door. He didn't want to enter, because he couldn't think up of any excuses. He was so sure that he's going to be yelled at.

Cagalli placed her hand on his shoulder, telling Athrun to face her. "I'll explain to Kira why you're late," she said. She had the face that was telling him that everything will be okay.

Without a doubt in his mind, he bestowed his trust to the princess. He swallowed his fear and entered the office. Inside, he saw Kira Yamato standing by the window, obviously staring at the deep blue sky.

"Hey there Kira!" greeted Cagalli, walking up to her twin.

Kira smiled at his sister and greeted her as well. But his smile instantly disappeared when he saw the blue-haired soldier.

Athrun gave him a proper salute. "Good Morning sir, I'm Athrun Zala of..." Before he could finish, Kira immediately butted in. "Do you have any idea what time it is!" Athrun expected that, but he didn't know what to answer. "Well, what's your excuse for your tardiness!" Kira demanded, tapping his fingers on his desk.

"Hold up Kira!" uttered Cagalli, hitting the table with her fist. "It's my fault why he's late."

"What do you mean?" Kira asked curiously.

"I kind of bumped into him in the hallways since I was trying to get away from Mana again, because she wanted me to go to a stupid party again held by that bastard Yuuna. I dragged him with me to a room to hide from Mana," Cagalli explained.

"Wait!" Kira bolted up. "You were alone with him in a room!" Kira got furious.

"I am not yet finished Kira!" added Cagalli. "So there we were in a room and we talked for a while and got acquainted... You know me, I'm the friendly type. Basically all I'm saying is that I'm to blame so don't get mad at him, Kira."

Kira sighed, "Okay I won't..." He placed his hand on her head. Kira started rubbing her head as if she was a little pup. "You're so adorable you know that."

Cagalli immediately backed away from him. She made a fist and glared at him. "Stop that! I'm not some pet!" she yelled. Nobody can ever yell at the Head Representative except for his sister.

Athrun stared at them in amazement. He could sense that Kira cared for Cagalli very much. Their brother-sister relationship reminded him of his younger sister who was also an ORB soldier, a military nurse to be exact.

"Athrun was it?" Kira called out as he turned to Athrun.

"Ye... yes sir!" Athrun replied nervously.

"I summoned you here because I'm appointing you to a new position." Kira intentionally placed his hand on the blonde's head.

Cagalli blinked twice before getting pissed again.

"I'm assigning you to be the bodyguard of my sister," Kira continued as he removed his hand off of her head.

Cagalli's face lightened. "Isn't that great? I'm sure we're going to be great friends!"

Athrun was so surprised that he couldn't even move a muscle. At long last, he was going to be the bodyguard of his beloved princess. He never felt so lucky in his life.

Cagalli pulled his sleeves to get his attention.

Eventually, Athrun snapped back and turned to her. He smiled and said, "I feel honored to be your bodyguard, princess."

"Wait a minute... I have to talk to you in private, Lieutenant Zala." The Representative spoke in a deep voice. He clasped his hands together as he laid his elbows on the desk.

"Why can't I stay and listen!" Cagalli asked.

"Because I said so." He didn't mean to sound cruel, but it was the only way to get the privacy he needed with Athrun. "We won't be long."

She shrugged. "Okay, fine!" she groaned in frustration as she glared at her only brother. "Just call me if you need anything." She spun on her heels and walked out of the room with haste.

Somehow, Athrun felt uneasy with Cagalli gone. _I'm alone with the Representative now, _he thought, wishing he wasn't strict.

"Are you willing to guard my sister with your life?" Kira asked Athrun all of the sudden.

Athrun nodded slowly. "Of course I am. I know how important she is to ORB and to you."

"Cagalli is the only family I have left, so please protect her at all cost." Kira's face gave a hint of concern and love.

"You have nothing to worry about. I promise you that she will be safe under my care."

Kira leaned his head on his hand and smiled at Athrun. "Oh, by the way, I've noticed that Cagalli is fairly interested in you. That's odd."

Athrun couldn't help but wonder why.

"Do you know Kisaka?" asked Kira.

The blue-haired coordinator nodded for he knew Kisaka very well. He was one of his superiors in the military. He was a man with great vigor and strength. He had the skills of a great leader, making him a dependable commander.

"Well," Kira went on, "Kisaka was once the bodyguard of Cagalli. I don't know how he managed to put up with her every single day." Kira's face darkened.

"What do you mean, sir?" Athrun asked curiously.

"You see, Cagalli thinks she doesn't need a bodyguard. She thinks she can handle herself pretty well." Kira crossed his arms, looking seriously. "As a result she would always ditch Kisaka."

Athrun swallowed hard as he imagined himself in Kisaka's place. The thought of the princess ditching her own bodyguard was rather insane. He hoped his job would go smoothly with Cagalli. _I really hope so_, he thought.

"When Kisaka got fed up, he resigned from his duty. I can't blame him for that."

"I agree, sir."

"After that, I hired Ensign Asagi Caldwell," Kira continued. "Ensign Caldwell was a smart and organized soldier. I really had faith in her." He let out a deep sigh.

Athrun figured that things didn't go well between Cagalli and Ensign Caldwell.

"Ensign Caldwell gave up her job after a week," he murmured, covering a part of his face with his hand. "She told me that Cagalli was too much for her." Again, he let out a deep sigh.

Athrun was beginning to feel nervous. From what he heard, Cagalli doesn't really get along with her bodyguards. But he made up his mind to protect Cagalli as her bodyguard—even if it means enduring her for all eternity.

Kira rose from his chair and approached the blue-haired coordinator. He placed a palm on his left shoulder and said, "Since she considers you as a friend and she seems to like you, I think there won't be any problems."

"She likes me?" Athrun asked softly, his eyes growing wide.

"So good luck," said Kira, "Lieutenant Zala."

Athrun once again saluted the representative. "Thank you sir!" replied Athrun.

Cagalli was waiting patiently outside... Okay she was losing her patience fast. She marched towards the door and planned to knock it down.

"Princess Cagalli?" muttered Athrun whose eyes widened at the sight of the blonde.

"Finally, you're done! I'm tired of waiting!" Cagalli said. "Come on! We have to get to know each other some more." She tightened her arms around his right arm. Again, she dragged Athrun off in a hurry.

Athrun didn't care if he was being drag around like that just as long he could be with Cagalli, he would do anything.

"Wait till I tell my sister about this..." Athrun thought.

**To be continued...**

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JC: End of chapter 1... So how was it? I hope you like reading this. I want reviews and no flames. Kira is the head representative of ORB. I bet you guys are wondering who the sister of Athrun is. Try to guess it!


	2. A Day in the City

JC: Hi! Chapter 2 is here! Thanks so much for the reviews. My OC, own character, Kai Kazuya will be here. He's going to cause some commotion for Cagalli and Athrun. Our favorite couple is going to have their first friendly date in the city. I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 02: A Day in the City

It was one fine morning in ORB. The sun was just right and it wasn't too hot. It was a perfect day to hang out. As she glanced at the clear blue sky, Cagalli sighed. She wanted to escape from the mansion like she usually does, but the area was heavily guarded. She was really bored. She stretched out her arms and groaned, "I want to get out of here!"

Suddenly a knock came to her door. "Princess, it's me, Athrun," said Athrun, "Can I come in?"

Cagalli smiled at the sound of the voice of her blue-haired bodyguard. She rushed towards the door and quickly opened it. "Athrun, I'm so glad that you're here!" exclaimed Cagalli, who just pulled Athrun in.

When he saw Cagalli's smiling face, Athrun blushed like hell. Cagalli was just happy to have some company with her, and Athrun could very well see that. But he had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. Cagalli held his hands, which made him gazed upon her golden-brown eyes. His heart pounded so hard. "What is it, princess?" Athrun nervously asked.

Cagalli grinned, which concerned Athrun a lot. "Athrun," started Cagalli. "Will you help me escape from this place? I want to go out to the city."

Athrun briskly shook his head. "No way... I'll be in trouble."

Cagalli put on a puppy dog face to convince him. Athrun couldn't resist her cute face, so he gave in to her demand. "All right," he said in defeat. "I'll help you but I'm not going to like this." Cagalli shook his hands and thanked him.

She changed into her civilian clothes (the clothes she wore in Destiny) in the bathroom. After a few minutes, she came out looking cool and ready in her clothes.

Athrun was amazed that she looked good in any clothes.

"I'm all set!" told Cagalli. She eyed him for a moment. "But wait a second! You can't come with me wearing a military uniform." She pointed out.

Athrun just remembered that. If he was going with her, then he must lose the uniform. "Luckily, I brought my clothes with me," Athrun said.

"Then go change already," demanded Cagalli, who was really anxious.

He nodded his head. He grabbed his bag and went to change in the bathroom. After a minute, he came out wearing black pants and jacket together with a green shirt. He looked really dashing in that outfit that made a great impression on Cagalli.

"Wow, you look cool."

Athrun blushed at the compliment, but he managed to stay composed. "Well, you look good too, you know," he said.

The princess peeped outside to see if anyone's there. "Okay, its all clear," Cagalli told Athrun. They ran through the hallways, hand-in-hand, trying their best to stay out of sight from the guards and maids. The house was so huge to begin with, so it took a while until they've reached the main entrance.

"It seems like there are no guards," Athrun said. "We have to be careful." They've reached the door with ease. Now the big problem was just beginning. The outside were full of guards.

"How are we going to get pass them?" asked Cagalli, who was feeling a little down.

Athrun placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry we'll get pass them..." He assured her of a plan he came up with a little while ago.

Athrun hacked into the security system. He triggered an alarm from the garden, which led the guards to think that there was an intruder. The guards rushed to the area, leaving the front yard clear.

"This is our chance," Cagalli said, grabbing the coordinator. She ran towards the gate, dragging Athrun along, and quickly opened it by entering a code. As the gates opened, both of them ran off.

The princess and the bodyguard rested on bench in a park. They were exhausted from all that running. In the midst of her heavy breathing, Cagalli suddenly laughed.

"What's the matter?" Athrun asked.

"I'm just relieved to get away from that place," Cagalli replied.

"You're a princess, but you're not allowed to do anything you want," he said with a look of concern.

Cagalli nodded. "I'm like a caged bird that can't flap her wings freely." She sighed as she looked up at the trees.

Athrun always thought that she was the luckiest girl in the whole world. She had everything. She was rich, beautiful, and powerful. She was the most admired figure in ORB aside from Kira. But he realized that having everything wasn't enough to make you happy.

"You know," started Cagalli, "as I child, the saddest thing that ever happened to me was losing mom." The blonde clenched her fist as she tried to hold back her tears. "Mom would always give me her love and concern. But when I turned 9, she found out that I wasn't really her child. I was switched during birth. She was so shocked that her heart couldn't take it anymore, so she slowly killed herself. Luckily Uzumi Nara Athha adopted me. He was very nice. I was so lucky to have a father like him. Later on, I found my brother, Kira Yamato. He lived in ORB all this time together with the Yamato family. He was once just an ordinary student and now he is the head representative of this county. I'm quite impressed." Cagalli turned to Athrun and smiled.

The blue-haired coordinator stared at the blonde. He knew that Cagalli was feeling down right now. Seeing her so sad, made him so uneasy. He had to cheer her up, but he doesn't even know how. He wasn't the funny type, so he couldn't tell jokes. Athrun scratched his head in frustration. "What should I do? I hate to see Princess Cagalli like this."

Suddenly, he felt somebody grabbing his arm. He noticed a pair of hands wrapped so tightly around his arms. He looked at Cagalli who seemed to have a smile on her face. She seemed to have lightened up a bit. She stood while pulling Athrun from the bench. "Come on, Athrun," said Cagalli, "We have a long day ahead of us."

Athrun briskly nodded his head, "Okay..." he said as he smiled.

Cagalli put on her sunglasses before she exited the park with Athrun. She had to be careful, since she was the princess after all, and somebody might recognize her. That would be a lot of trouble, especially for Athrun's part.

He suddenly pictured Kira in his mind. He shivered at the mere thought of him. He better watch the princess carefully or else he would lose his job, he thought. He chuckled to himself. "So, where are we?" Athrun gasped as he noticed that Cagalli had disappeared from his sight.

"Where's the princess?!" said Athrun who was getting nervous. He could feel his hands turning as cold as ice. He looked around to find the blonde, but he she was no where in sight.

"Athrun!" called Cagalli.

The bodyguard followed the sound of the voice that led him to a hotdog stand. Cagalli was standing right beside it, eating some chilly dogs with a hint of mustard and ketchup. The blonde took one big bite out of it. "Yummy!!" exclaimed Cagalli, and then she glanced at her bodyguard. "Athrun, let's eat!"

Athrun sighed in relief. He thought that he lost Cagalli back there. He approached the blonde and ordered one hotdog as well.

"After this, let's go to the arcade," suggested Cagalli and took another bite.

"Sounds fun," replied Athrun. "It's been a long time since I've been there."

After eating, Cagalli started running away from Athrun. The coordinator really had no choice but to go after her. He had to admit that Cagalli was acting like a small child, but he found it to be a cute trait. As he hurriedly followed Cagalli, he saw the princess bumping into a familiar guy with brown hair and crystal blue eyes. Cagalli almost fell down if it wasn't for Athrun catching her in his arms.

"Huh?" She glanced at Athrun and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Athrun!"

Athrun was speechless. His cheeks were as red as a tomato. He could feel his body freezing up. A sudden chill and tension rose up in his spine because one of his hands was holding Cagalli's breast. Before the princess could notice that, Athrun quickly removed his hands from her. "No... No... Pro... problem..." he replied.

"If it isn't Athrun Zala..."

The brown-haired guy was leaning against the wall with arms folded in front of his chest. He smiled mischievously at Athrun Zala.

"Athrun," said Cagalli, "Who is he?"

"I'm Kai Kazuya, a friend of Zala..." Kai told her.

"Kai…" Athrun said. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Kai Kazuya..." muttered Cagalli. "Wait I heard that name before..."

"Where?" Kai curiously asked her.

"You're part of the ORB military," Cagalli said. "You're Lieutenant Kai Kazuya..."

"Wow!" Kai yelled in surprise. How in the world did the blonde girl know that? Kai was puzzled. He started to be suspicious about her. "How did you know that I was an ORB soldier?"

"Well... I kinda... um..." Cagalli couldn't find the right words to answer him back.

Luckily, Athrun made up an excuse that they had to go, but Cagalli was pulled back by Kai. With a direct movement, he swiped the sunglasses away from the blonde girl. Her golden-brown eyes were revealed to Kai that made him blushed a bit. Her eyes were really beautiful. Kai wanted to ask her out or something until he came to recognized the blonde girl, which turned out to be the Princess of ORB. Kai felt like dying at that moment. He acted so rude in front of her royal highness! He saluted and bowed his head as a sign of regret.

"Don't worry its okay..." Cagalli said.

"Kai, you're making a scene," told Athrun. "The people are going to notice Princess Cagalli here."

"Sorry about that..." Kai said.

"Let's start again," he suggested as he bowed like a true gentleman. "I'm Kai Kazuya, part of the ORB military and a friend of Athrun Zala."

"Okay, I'm Cagalli Yula Athha," replied Cagalli with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Princess. I have always admired you!" Kai said out loud, which made the people passing by to look at him. "Uh... oh..." He smiled awkwardly. He turned to Cagalli and Athrun who were glaring furiously at him. "I'm sorry..."

"Why don't you just keep your mouth shut?!" yelled Athrun.

"Did you say the princess?" an old woman came out from the crowd and questioned Kai. "I heard you right—you said princess."

Kai started sweating like a pig. He scratched his head as he tried to think of an excuse. The people were staring at him, which just made him more nervous than he already was.

"I don't like the looks of this," whispered Athrun. "Put on your sunglasses right away."

"Okay," replied Cagalli. She swiped the sunglasses away from Kai's hand. Before she could put them on, somebody from the crowd suddenly shouted her name.

"It's Princess Cagalli! It's really her! I can recognize that face anywhere."

BUSTED! The crowd surrounded them like a pack of wolves. They all turned to fan mode and screamed Cagalli's name in admiration. In ORB, Cagalli was like a celebrity—she was the most popular person in ORB. Cagalli just smiled at her adoring fans that seemed to be begging for an autograph and a picture. This was beginning to annoy her. She moved towards Athrun and Kai. The both of them were arguing, more like blaming each other. Cagalli wanted to knock their heads off, but she could do that later. Right now, she just wanted to get away from the crowd.

"Athrun, you better think of a way to get me out of here," Cagalli whispered in a deep tone.

"Well okay then..." he replied. Athrun suddenly pointed up and yelled, "Look, its Strike Freedom!"

The crowd, including Kai, looked up. Athrun was a bit surprised that they fell for an old trick like that. "They actually believed that..." he chuckled. He immediately grabbed the chance and dragged Cagalli away.

While they were running, Cagalli kept staring at Athrun's face. She noticed how handsome he was. She suddenly gave out a small laugh.

They both stopped in front of a café. Athrun looked around if anybody followed them. "Good, we lost them..." He remembered that he left Kai back there. "Oh well... He can take care of himself," Athrun silently thought. He glanced at the blonde to see her laughing. "Princess, what's the matter?"

Cagalli shook her head. "It's nothing... I'm just happy that's all."

To see her laugh and smile makes Athrun's heart feel contented. He doesn't know her completely, but he could tell that Cagalli was really cheerful and kind. She always has been since the day he first saw her. As he glanced at the blonde, he could feel his heart pounding so hard. The time he shared with her will forever be engraved in his mind. He wished that he could always be with her. He loved Cagalli so much. He wanted to tell her his feelings, but he was afraid of her answer. What if she rejects him? That'll be too painful for Athrun to bear. Yet, he had to take the risk. He had to express his love for her. But now was not the right time to do it, because Cagalli was enjoying her time. He doesn't want to ruin it, so he decided to tell her some other day.

_ORB Parliament House_

Kira arrived home early from work. He was exhausted from all the meetings that he was ready to hit the hay. He then remembered about his sister, so he decided to pay her a visit in her room. He knocked on the door, but strangely there was no answer. He tried again and still nobody came to open it. Kira thought that she might be asleep, but he knew that his twin wouldn't sleep early. He opened the door, looked around the room and found no one. Kira clenched his fist hard, and then he gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed.

There was only one possible explanation why Cagalli wasn't there. Cagalli had gone out again, despite the guards he set up around the mansion.

"Wait till I get my hands on you, Cagalli!" Kira thought furiously. He rushed down the stairs while calling his driver.

A man with a black tuxedo came out right away. "What can I do for you, Representative?" he promptly asked.

"Get the car. We're going to find Cagalli" Kira said in a controlled voice. The driver nodded his head and went out.

After a minute, the car was ready to go. Kira immediately hopped on. "I'm sure Cagalli is at that place again," Kira told the driver.

The driver stepped on the pedal and the car took off instantly.

_Café_

"This place cooks the best meals!" Cagalli screamed. She took another bite of her hamburger, and then she picked up some fries and placed it all in her mouth. Cagalli looked like a girl who hasn't eaten in days.

"Princess, you shouldn't eat so fast," Athrun told her.

"I'm used to it," replied Cagalli, "Oh by the way don't call me princess or I'll cut you off." Cagalli never really liked being called that. Yes, she was one, but she doesn't even act like one. She admitted that she was a tomboy who hates dresses and never does anything girly. Although she acted that way, many boys still find her attractive.

Kira once told her that boys like her so much because she was adorable, cute, and kind-hearted. Well, Kira was never wrong about judging people, so she had no problem with that. Most of her suitors before kept saying that she was cute, but she would always turn them down. All of her suitors were rich, handsome and popular, but that didn't appeal to her. The type of guy she wanted was different. She can't explain it, yet but she realized that she found Athrun Zala striking. Whenever she gazed upon him, she would feel so light-headed.

Athrun noticed the princess staring blankly at him. Athrun blushed again. _Darn, I'm sure my face is red again. I hope she doesn't notice._

"You look so cute when you blush," Cagalli said.

"Huh?!" His faced flushed more in an instant. "I'm not blushing..." He turned his head away from her.

"Yes you are... Maybe you're not used to going out with girls like me."

"Well, it's my first time," replied Athrun. "I usually go out with my sister."

"You have a sister?!" exclaimed Cagalli. "Is she younger or older?" Cagalli sounded interested.

"She's a year younger than me and she's also in the military," Athrun added.

"I want to meet her."

"I could introduce you to her tomorrow if you like."

"Does she look like you?"

"No, she has red hair, but we have the same eye color."

"I see. Then you better tell her about this."

"Okay."

Athrun and Cagalli finished their meals and paid up at the counter. As they exited the café, the blonde spotted a familiar black limo approaching them.

"Oh no!" yelled Cagalli, starting to panic. "That's Kira's limo and he's heading this way!" She quickly hid behind the post. "I hope Kira didn't see me." Cagalli had her fingers crossed. She glanced back at Athrun, who was also hiding behind a tall plant. "Athrun, we should get out of here."

He nodded his head in agreement. He was also afraid of what Kira might do to him. He helped his sister escape from the mansion, brought her around town, and treated her to lunch—he knew that he was so dead. As a soldier, he shouldn't have gone against his superior's orders, but Cagalli was quite convincing. He peeked to see if the limo was still there. Yup, still there and what's more Kira got out of it.

Kira looked so angry. Cagalli could feel his raging aura overwhelming around him. He was intimidating enough to make Cagalli and Athrun want to run for their lives. She didn't expect this to happen.

Kira paused for a while. He deeply breathed in to calm himself down. He eyed on the post.

Cagalli sensed a sudden chill in her body. She felt like Kira was staring straight at her.

"I saw you, Cagalli, so come out. It's no use hiding from me," Kira said, a voice so firm.

Cagalli revealed herself to her twin. She let out a small laugh. She noticed that her brother was staring intensely at her. "Kira, you're scaring me."

"You better be scared!" Kira scolded. "I told you how many times that you can't leave the mansion without me! You're just too darn stubborn." Kira crossed his arms in front of him. He turned his attention to the plant beside him. He suddenly kicked it away, showing Athrun in his nervous state. "As for you, Lt. Zala..." Kira glared at him. "You're going to be in big trouble."

Athrun could feel a big lump in his throat. He expected for this to happen, so he has no regrets for taking Cagalli out. He was prepared for any punishment that Kira was going to give him.

Before Kira could lecture him, Cagalli butted in, saying that it wasn't Athrun's fault. Cagalli was defending him again. "It's all right, Princess..." told Athrun, but Cagalli persisted that he wasn't to blame.

"I'm the one who persuaded him so punish me," she said.

Kira sighed, "All right..." He looked at Athrun and said, "You're off the hook again."

Athrun sighed in relief. He leaned towards Cagalli and whispered, "Thank you," into her ear.

**To be continued...**

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JC: End of chapter 2. Kira's really protective huh? That goes to show that he's really a caring brother. I know Kira is normally a sweet and nice guy, but when it comes to his sister he can be different. I like protective brothers for some reason. Oh, yeah, don't forget that I want reviews, not flames!


	3. Friend

JC: Chapter 3 is up! Thank you for the reviews!! It's much appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. You'll find out about Athrun's sister here.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 03: Friend

_Orb Parliament House_

The head representative dragged his blonde twin sister to her room. He pulled a chair and made Cagalli sit down. Kira glared down at her with those purple eyes. He crossed his arms in front of him as he sighed in frustration.

"You already know what I'm going to say to you, right?" Kira started.

Cagalli turned away to avoid his glance. Of course, she knew what he was going to say. She heard it over a million times already. She's sick of it!

"I'm talking to you, Cagalli," Kira told her. He grabbed her shoulders, hoping that Cagalli would look at him, but she kept her eyes away from him. "Cagalli..." Kira spoke softly this time. "Look, I'm sorry for being like this but I'm only worried."

The blonde slowly turned her head. Her golden-brown eyes got caught in his purple eyes that were filled with concern and kindness. At that moment, she felt guilty for troubling her only brother all the time.

"I'm sorry, Kira..." she stated. "It's just that... I don't like being locked up in this mansion. It's so boring." She sounded pissed.

Kira understood her very well. His sister wasn't the home-type of a girl. She was more of the spunky and out-going type. But the problem was, she was the princess of ORB. She can't go out in public like an ordinary civilian. That was one of Kira's reasons why he has been protective of her. He promised that he'll protect Cagalli. He can't risk his sister out in the city. Kira tried to remind her of that, but she wouldn't listen.

The prince groaned as he raised his hands in a form of surrender. "You're stubborn as a mule," he told her.

Cagalli immediately raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're the one who's treating me like I'm some three-year old kid. You're not my father!" She glared furiously at him while holding a fist up.

"You're one furious blonde. Just calm down, Cagalli..." Kira told her.

"I would, if you would just give me enough freedom," Cagalli countered.

She quickly stood from her chair and walked to the door. She reached for the knob, but before she turned it, Kira grabbed her wrist. Cagalli glanced at her brother and yelled, "Leave me alone!" She brushed away Kira's hand and turned the knob right away. Once the door was opened, she hurriedly ran out.

"Cagalli!" shouted Kira, but his voice didn't reach her. He leaned himself on the wall and deeply sighed. "What should I do?" he asked himself. He looked around the place, hoping he would find an answer and unfortunately he found none. He placed his right hand on his forehead as he looked up at the ceiling. Suddenly, a smile came to his face. "Maybe she can help me..." He mumbled.

Athrun was in the living room. His eyes were focused at the garden that was clearly seen through the window. He admired how beautiful the flowers looked bathed in sunlight. The sweet aroma of the fresh cut grass, together with the fragrance of the flowers, was heavenly. It reminded him so much of his mother. His mother was fond of plants and flowers, which was why Athrun felt so relaxed around them. A smile came to his face as the memories of his mother passed through his mind, but it was shortly replaced with a frown. His mother no longer existed. He almost cried at this, but he held back his tears. He promised his mother that he will be strong for her and for his sister.

Cagalli walked into the room and saw Athrun by the window. She noticed the calm expression on his face. "He looks so happy," she thought silently. She approached him step by step, hoping that she could surprise him, but Athrun sensed her presence.

The bodyguard turned to her with a smile. "Are you done talking with Representative Yamato?" he asked her.

Her eyes turned away from his as she slowly nodded her head.

He noticed how sad Cagalli looked. He wanted to cheer her up, but he didn't know how. "Princess... darn... I hate seeing her like this," Athrun said to himself. He looked around while thinking of something to make her happy.

"I hate my life..." stated Cagalli all of the sudden.

Athrun immediately glanced back at her. To his surprise, he saw that Cagalli has already broken into tears.

"Princess... you're crying... Why?" Athrun asked, but she didn't reply.

She lowered her head to avoid his emerald-green eyes. Her hands were clasped together as she trembled.

Athrun felt like a total idiot. His heart felt like it was going to break as he gazed upon the crying princess. But what can he do for her? Unexpectedly, Cagalli leaned her head on his chest. His eyes widened in surprise and his cheeks turned crimson. He could tell that his heart was pounding like crazy. He stared at the blonde, who was still crying miserably. His eyes softened as his arms cuddled her securely.

Cagalli was a bit surprised by his actions. She glanced up at her bodyguard, who was smiling at her. Athrun had a warm and kind smile, which gave Cagalli a great feeling.

"Athrun..." she muttered.

"Stop crying, Princess..." said Athrun. He neatly wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Once again, Cagalli broke into tears and then she instantly hugged Athrun. "Thank you, Athrun!" she told him. "I know you're cheering me up and I really appreciate it."

"Princess..." he murmured.

He tightened his grip around her, bringing her body closer to him. He didn't care if she felt the loud pounding his heart. All he wanted was to comfort Cagalli.

He released Cagalli, and as their faces met, Athrun saw her smile. Cagalli, once again, had the cheerful look on her face. Her tears were completely gone and her golden-brown eyes were clearer. Although she could still feel a slight burden in her heart, she couldn't let Athrun see her in such a sad state.

"Thank you, Athrun..." she told him. "Oh yeah... One more thing..."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. Athrun stared briefly at her hand and then at her. The blonde narrowed her eyes on him, which made him rather nervous.

"What's the matter, princess?" Athrun asked.

"You've forgotten something." Cagalli replied.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I told you not to call me princess!" she yelled.

She yelled directly at Athrun's ear, which caused his eardrums to shake. He rubbed his ear, in order to soothe the pain a little. "I think I'm deaf." Athrun joked.

"Whatever... don't call me by the p-name again, k?" Cagalli reminded.

Athrun nodded. "Okay... um... Can I call you Cagalli?" he asked her.

"Cagalli sounds much better to me," replied Cagalli. "Sure you can call me that."

A loud knock came from the main door, catching both of their attention. "Who could that be?" Cagalli silently asked herself. She turned to Athrun and said, "I'll go answer it." She walked towards the door and opened it. A girl about her age, with honey-brown hair and blue-green eyes, was standing by the door way. Cagalli smiled widely at the girl, who was none other than her good friend, Miriallia Hawe. She immediately hugged her in her excitement.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Miriallia!" Cagalli exclaimed.

She released Miriallia from her hug and she faced her with a warm and friendly smile. "Please come in..." Cagalli gently pulled her inside before she could reply.

She immediately brought her friend to the living room where Athrun was. Miriallia briefly paused when she saw the blue-haired bodyguard.

"Athrun Zala?" Miriallia spoke as her eyes widened in curiosity.

Athrun smiled at her. "It is me, Hawe..." he told her.

Miriallia blinked several times before she realized that it was really Athrun. "What are you doing here?" She pointed a finger at him. "Aren't you supposed to be at HQ?"

He shook his head in reply. He then turned his head to the blonde princess, who seemed confused by them.

"You two..." said Cagalli, "know each other?"

"Yes," replied Athrun. "We met during our training in the ORB Military Academy." He looked at Miriallia and smiled.

"That's right..." Miriallia added. "But wait, you haven't answer my question yet, Zala." She suddenly remembered.

Athrun chuckled lightly as he pointed at the princess. "You see, I was assigned by Representative Yamato to be her bodyguard." He explained to her.

Miriallia gasped in surprise. "You're Cagalli's new bodyguard?!" she yelled out loud. "I can't believe it." She narrowed her eyes at Athrun while she let out a mischievous smile. "So he gets to spend time with Cagalli now..." she silently thought.

When he saw the way she eyed him, Athrun felt a bit nervous. He gave out a light laugh to help him remove his anxiety, but Milly was a bit stingy. He knew that Miriallia knows his secret well. He trusted her with that secret and she promised him that she will never tell anyone. But he wasn't assured of that, since Miriallia can sometimes put him in a tight spot. Nevertheless, she was a friend that could be trusted.

For a moment, there was silence in the room. Cagalli, of all people, hated solitude so she suddenly started asking Miriallia some questions.

"What brings you here, Miriallia?" Cagalli directed her attention to her best friend.

"Kira called me and told me to come here," Miriallia replied. "He said he wanted to talk to me about something."

"I see..." Cagalli sighed. Hearing her brother's name made her a little furious.

"I'm going to his office now..." Milly said. She was about to leave when Cagalli grabbed her hand. Milly stared peculiarly at her blonde friend. "What's the matter, Cagalli?"

"Can you do me a favor?" asked Cagalli as she directed her eyes on the floor.

Miriallia smiled. She knew what her friend was going to say. She tilted he head upwards, so she could gaze into her golden-brown eyes. "Don't worry, just leave it to me." She assured her.

"Thank you," Cagalli told Milly.

On the other hand, Athrun wondered what that was all about. He noticed how seriously Cagalli looked when she asked Milly a favor. He could only guess that it might have something to do with Kira. He didn't dare to ask her, so he stayed quiet. He did kind of admire how close Miriallia and Cagalli were. He never knew that Milly was friends with Cagalli and Kira. He did become acquainted. He had come to know her secrets, her likes and dislikes, and even her personality. He considered Milly as an important friend.

Miriallia placed her hand on Athrun's shoulder. She pulled him by the ear and whispered something to him. "I'll help you with Cagalli, k?" She faced him and winked. She turned to Cagalli with her hand slightly raised. "I better go now. See you later Cagalli." At once, she left the two in the living room.

"What was that all about?" Cagalli asked Athrun. "What did she tell you?" She eyed Athrun curiously.

His cheeks flushed up in an instant as he shook his head in all directions. He scratched the back of his head. He was feeling rather stupid acting like that in front of the princess, but it couldn't be helped. He can't tell her what Miriallia just told him, so he made up an excuse, and he hoped the Cagalli would buy it.

"Well, she just told me to meet her later..." said Athrun. "Yeah, that's it!"

"Okay," replied Cagalli, looking at him suspiciously.

Athrun sighed in relief. "I'm really bad at making excuses, but she believed me. That's good..." He glanced back at the blonde princess. "What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know." She suddenly yawned. "I'm getting sleepy. I better go rest for a while." She told him.

"Okay, have a nice rest," said Athrun.

"Thanks," replied Cagalli. "See you later, Athrun."

She left the living room and went straight to her room. She locked the door behind her and she leaned her back on it. She heaved a big sigh before she walked up to her bed. There, she immediately rested her tired body. She grabbed a pillow and cuddled it in her arms. She closed her eyes, and after a while, she finally went to sleep.

_Kira's office_

Miriallia and Kira were having a rather pleasant conversation. They were, of course, close friends since childhood. They always enjoyed each other's company.

Kira has always been grateful to Miriallia. As a child, Kira was a loner, meaning he didn't have much friends and he was shy. He was a bit clumsy, but he was always kind to others. He met Miriallia in the 3rd grade, and they've been friends ever since.

Miriallia was always there to cheer him up. No matter what problem Kira faced, he always managed to pull through with her help.

Kira gazed upon her with great admiration. He was overjoyed to see her again. On the other hand, Miriallia was talking about her days in the military. Kira listened to every word she spilled. Listening to her talk made him feel the old days.

Her conversation suddenly shifted to Cagalli. Kira quickly turned his head away from her.

He asked, "What about Cagalli?"

"You shouldn't treat Cagalli like a caged bird, Kira," started Miriallia, "She's already 18-years old and you're still very protective." She reminded him.

Kira glared back at Miriallia. "So what?" Kira countered. "Let me remind you that she's a princess and she can't have the freedom to roam around the streets like any ordinary person."

Miriallia's eyes softened for she could see Kira's great concern for his twin sister. Her hand reached for his shoulder. She looked straight at his purple eyes and said, "I understand."

He felt glad after hearing that. But he had to admit, he has been a little tight over Cagalli these days. "Okay, I'm strict but is that a crime?" he said sarcastically.

Milly chucked a bit. "No," replied Miriallia, "but may I suggest that you should go talk to her?"

"Why do you always sound right?" questioned Kira.

"I don't know." She laughed again.

Kira stood from his chair and went over to his desk. Then he opened a drawer and took out a picture. A smile came to his face as he gazed upon the album-sized picture.

Curious about it, Miriallia approached Kira and looked at the picture to. To her surprise, it was a picture of a 14-year old Kira with Cagalli.

"You two look cute," Miriallia said, giggling sweetly.

The representative nodded his head in agreement. "Actually, Cagalli is the cute one here," he told her.

He stared back at the picture, but his eyes were locked onto Cagalli's image. Cagalli had a wide grin on her face while she gave Kira a big hug. He always kept that picture close to him, because he doesn't want to forget the precious time he had shared with his twin. Then, he placed the picture on his left chest, where he could feel his heart pounding softly. After that, he hid the picture back in the drawer and closed it slowly. When he closed it, he turned to his friend who was smiling at him.

"You really love her..." Miriallia said. "But you shouldn't worry so much about her, Kira." She further added.

"I'll try to keep that in mind and," Kira replied. "Thank you, Miriallia."

"No problem," Milly said.

_ORB Military Defense HQ _

A red-head girl with emerald green eyes wearing an ORB Military Uniform was scanning through various files about certain soldiers in the ORB Military through the computer. She was quite interested in them, but her favorite was Cagalli Yula Athha. She practically knew everything about the princess, including her height, weight, and favorites. She was considered to be a fan girl by the other soldiers- of course she truly admitted that.

RING!!! RING!!! Her light blue-colored cell phone just rang. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket. She noticed on the screen that it was a call from her brother, Athrun Zala. She pressed a button, and then she placed it beside her ear.

"Jean here," Jean said. "What's up Nii-san?" She addressed Athrun by that name considering that he was her older brother. "How was your day with Princess Cagalli?" She got excited all of the sudden.

"Well, I had fun with her," started Athrun. Then he continued telling her about his day with Cagalli in the city. Somehow, Jean felt jealous since Athrun gets to spend so much time with the princess, while she's stuck working at HQ.

"How about you Jean?" asked Athrun. "Is everything all right there?"

"It's okay," Jean replied, half-lying. "But it's very dull here without your presence, Nii-san."

"Just be good, Jean... Well, I'll call you again, k?" he said and then he hung up.

"Nii-san," murmured Jean. "You're so lucky." She placed the cell phone on the table and let out a deep sigh. She stood from her chair and dropped herself on the bed. Then, she stared at a portrait located beside her bed- it was a portrait her mother. She smiled at this. "Mother, I want to meet Princess Cagalli too but it seems impossible for me." Again, she sighed and then she buried her face in her pillow as she clenched the blanket tightly.

**To be continued...**

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JC: End of chapter 3. Jean is Athrun's sister, while Miriallia is a close friend to the twins and Kai? – Well, check him out in the next chapter. Please give me your comments or reviews. I don't want any flames, so forget about it!


	4. Sibling Love

JC: Chapter 4 is here! Thanks again for those who have reviewed. AsuCaga rulz!!! In the previous chapter, I've introduced to you, Jean Corda, my original character which turned out to be Athrun's sister in this fic. Okay, her last name isn't Corda here but Zala—well, you get the idea. Please R&R!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 04: Sibling Love

_Cagalli's room_

The blonde princess was sleeping soundly on her bed with her head rested neatly on the pillow, while both hands were positioned on the side. The whole room was dark, since no lights were on, but her silhouette can still be seen clearly. Her current attire was a translucent night gown, which defined her curves perfectly. With her present position, any boy would drool at the mere sight of her.

Cagalli inched a little to the side. As she does this, she suddenly fell out of bed, which resulted her falling hard on her back. When she came to grasp this, she groaned furiously. She realized that her back was in much pain. She started rubbing it gently, soothing it.

"Ouch," Cagalli grumbled. "Why do I always fall out of bed?"

Unexpectedly, a knock came to her door and a familiar voice called out her name. Cagalli knew that it was Kira, so she refused to open it. She was still angry at him, no doubt.

On the other hand, Kira wasn't going to give up, because he had to talk to Cagalli no matter what. He kept knocking until Cagalli grew more annoyed by this.

"Damn you!" Cagalli yelled out. She marched towards the door and immediately opened it. She glared first at her brother before she spoke angrily. "What the hell do you want now?!"

Kira didn't reply. Instead, he was staring at Cagalli in a weird manner. His eyes were wide open and his hands trembled a little.

The blonde blinked twice, and when she looked at herself, she realized what her attire was. She let out an irritating and loud yell.

Kira tried to cover his ears, but the sound still passed through. He was getting annoyed, so he covered the blonde's mouth with his hand. He then pushed Cagalli inside the room and shut the door behind him. Once in the room, Cagalli stopped shrieking and quickly ran to the bathroom to put some clothes on. While Kira waited for her, he seated himself on her bed.

"Don't take too long Cagalli!" yelled Kira. He stared at the door hoping that his twin would come out any time soon.

But as expected, she was taking a lot more time. He, by chance, saw the picture on the bedside drawer. It was a picture of a young Cagalli in the arms of her mother. He knew that it has always been there since the day he lived at the mansion. He knew how precious it is to Cagalli.

Then, Cagalli came out wearing a white t-shirt and green short pants. She marched over to her bed and sat down beside Kira. "If you want to say something to me then start talking!" Cagalli demanded.

"It's that really a way to talk to your older brother," Kira joked.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes at him. She clenched her fist and grabbed Kira by the collar. "There's no way that I could be younger than you!" exclaimed Cagalli. She always thought of herself as the older one, even though others think that Kira was older, because he was more mature. She shook her head rapidly as she said, "You're the younger one!" She placed her hands down on her lap. "There's no way you're the older one," continued Cagalli, "even though you're the representative, even though you always take good care of me, it doesn't mean that you're a big brother."

The brunette pulled his twin into a hug. He closed his eyes as he tried to focus himself to her. He brushed his hand through her gold locks with passion. He could feel that loud pound of her heart, which brought joy to him. He knew at that very moment that Cagalli was blushing. He gently pushed her away, because he wanted to see her face. Indeed, she looked so cute with her face all red. As Kira enjoyed every second watching and admiring her face, he felt something deep inside. He never felt like that before, but he knew that Cagalli was the reason.

"Cagalli, I know that I may be strict sometimes," Kira said. He paused and shrugged. "Well, most of the times, but I'm only like that because of you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I promise to protect you and I'm planning to keep that." Kira turned his head away for a second, and immediately glanced back at Cagalli's golden-brown eyes. "Cagalli, I love you so much..."

The blonde gasped as she heard this. It was the first time, she heard Kira say that. Before he just kept saying, "I like you very much," and now he was telling her, "That he loves her..." It brought so much surprise for her. She didn't know what to say. She just stared at him blankly with a stunned face.

"Cagalli?" Kira asked, curious to know why she became silent. "Why don't you say something?"

He noticed her the teary look on her face. Her eyes softened as tears formed in her eyes.

"Cagalli, please don't cry," he begged her. He hated seeing his sister cry. He didn't mean to make her cry; he just wanted to express his feelings and concerns for her.

"I'm sorry, Kira," muttered Cagalli. "I've been so stubborn. I've always caused you trouble, because I was selfish. I know I always make you worry so much about me. I know how much you care for me and still... I..." She closed her eyes as the tears crawled down. Her whole body trembled. "I'm so sorry, Kira!" exclaimed Cagalli.

Kira hugged her sister again. It may be painful for him to see her in such state, but he had to stay by her side. He needed to comfort her. While Cagalli continued to weep on his chest, Kira gently rubbed her back. He glanced down at his sister with a calm expression. His hand made its way to her face. He titled her head up, so he could see a clear view of her face. Her cheeks were stained with her tears, but still she looked cute. His smile returned to his face.

"Kira?" Cagalli said, looking a bit shy. "I love you too..."

He gave her a light pat on the head and said, "I know…and will you forgive me?" He sighed. "Forgive me for treating you like a caged bird."

"It's okay," Cagalli replied. Her face was a little brighter than before. "I understand your decisions. I'm all right, Kira, so don't worry about it too much!"

"Cagalli..." he softly said into her ear. Finally, he burst into tears as he hugged his sister tightly.

The next day, Cagalli woke up early to take a stroll in the garden. A walk in the garden always made her feel better whenever she felt down. When she got dressed in her usual green dress, she went out. She walked through the hallways and passed by some maids who greeted her promptly. Of course, Cagalli greeted them back. When she suddenly remembered Athrun, she asked the maids if they've seen Athrun around.

However, the maids shook their heads.

Cagalli decided to check his room. Once there, she went in and heard the shower running. She figured that her bodyguard was still taking a bath. She sighed and lay down on the bed.

"Hurry up," thought Cagalli, "I need someone to walk with me."

When Athrun got out, he was shocked to see Cagalli there in his room and resting on his bed! He gave a look that said –"What in the world is the princess doing here?" The worst part was the fact that he was naked, but his lower part was covered with a towel. Still, it felt embarrassing for a girl to see him like that.

Cagalli rose from the bed and saw Athrun. "You're finally finished... That's good! Now you can come with me... But you have to get dress first," she said as she noticed that Athrun was only wearing a towel.

"Princess, why are you here?" Athrun asked whose face was red as a tomato. "You shouldn't be here or else I'm going to be in big trouble with Representative Yamato."

"Nah, it won't be a problem," assured Cagalli. "Besides, Kira is still sleeping. Come on, Athrun, get dressed and let's go for a walk around the garden. Better yet, you could bring me to HQ and introduce me to your sister."

"Okay, okay... But may you please leave my room in order for me to do so." He turned his gaze away from her. "It's humiliating," thought Athrun, "I should've locked the door before I took a bath. I'm such an idiot."

"Sure thing," Cagalli replied casually. "By the way, I'm sorry for barging into your room without permission."

"It's okay, pri... I mean Cagalli," Athrun replied.

Cagalli smiled when Athrun called her by name. Hearing her name was much better than being called a princess. Cagalli went outside and waited for him by the door.

The blue-haired coordinator sighed in relief, yet his face was still bright red. He entered the bathroom again and once there, he quickly washed his face with soap and water, hoping that it would remove the red stains on his cheeks. Well, it disappeared when Athrun's heart calmed down. He placed his right hand on his chest and felt his heart slowing. But his breathing increased when he started thinking about Cagalli. Actually, he was quite happy to see the princess so early in the morning, but he didn't expect to see her in such a way that Cagalli has to see him half-naked! He felt so stupid that he wanted to punch himself.

He remembered that Cagalli was still waiting for him. He got dressed in an instant, fixed up his hair, and went out. He found Cagalli staring intensely at him with those golden-brown eyes. Athrun's emotions heated up again, but he tried his best to control it. He laughed out a bit to release some of his nervousness in his heart.

"Um... hehe... Let's go, Cagalli," Athrun said. He started walking first, but Cagalli stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Instead of going to the garden, why don't we go to HQ?" Cagalli suggested, smiling slyly.

Athrun gasped. "What are you going to do there?" he asked.

With a smile, Cagalli replied with a rather happy tone, "I want to meet your younger sister." She sounded so demanding as usual.

He couldn't say no to he, but he was afraid of what Kira would say. He was going to be in trouble again and he can't really depend on Cagalli all the time to bail him out. "What should I do?" Athrun asked himself.

Cagalli noticed how worried Athrun looked. She knew that Kira was the reason of his behavior. "He's really an obedient soldier. He doesn't want to disobey my brother's orders, but he's my bodyguard and I can do whatever I please with him." She silently thought as a small but playful grin appeared on her face. "Kira has already given me the freedom, so I can see no problem with that."

"Are you sure?" Athrun asked.

"Kira told me that I can go to the city, HQ or anywhere in ORB anytime," she replied confidently. "Now come on!" She held onto Athrun's arm. "Let's go!" She started pulling him.

"O... Okay..." Athrun replied. "I hope Jean is ready to meet her. She's also an admirer of Cagalli so I'm sure she's going to freak out," thought Athrun, "but nevertheless, she's going to be so happy."

**To be continued... **

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JC: End of chapter 4. It's much shorter than the last one. Cagalli's going to meet Jean in the next chapter! The title here is Sibling Love. It's just a typical brotherly and sisterly love. No incest, okay?! Please don't forget to review and no flaming. FLAMES are just best left ignored. 


	5. Nice to meet you

JC: Before I made this chapter, I went all the trouble to look for ideas and inspiration. I've watched Gundam Seed again especially episode 24. I got motivated and many ideas came into my head. By the way, thanks for the reviews!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. Don't you dare and try to sue me! I'm innocent!!

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 05: Nice to meet you

Kai Kazuya was helping out with the technicians in the Mobile Suit Hangar. He was overwriting the operating systems of some Astray Mobile Suits. When he was done, he immediately got out of the cockpit to stretch. "Glad that's done," he said. He turned to the chief technician and asked him if there was anything else for him to do.

The technician promptly saluted and said, "That would be all. Thank you, sir, for your help."

Kai smiled and nodded. "Okay then, see you." He saluted before he walked away. He went out of the hangar to catch some fresh air. There, he saw a white limo pulling over. The limo was awfully familiar to him. He watched it carefully and saw the ORB Insignia on it. "That's Princess Cagalli's limo." He got excited. "I can't believe it!"

Before running off to the limo, he paused as he saw a familiar blue-haired coordinator stepping out. "Athrun Zala?" Kai murmured, raising an eyebrow. "B-But why?"

Athrun got off the car first and he was shortly followed by Cagalli. Kai greatly gasped at this. He looked completely dumbfounded. He wondered why Athrun and Cagalli were together. He clenched his fist hard. "I'm not going to let him have the princess all to himself!" he exclaimed, jealousy written all over his handsome face.

"Kai?" a female voice called him.

Kai turned around and saw a red-head girl wearing a nurse's outfit. She was one of his closest friends, Jean Zala. "Jean, what do you want?" he asked.

"I was just wondering if you're goofing off again," Jean replied, chuckling.

"No," Kai answered roughly. "I'm just cooling my head, Jean-san." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking so pissed. "Why are you here?" he then asked her.

Jean smirked. "I was heading towards the clinic when..." Jean paused when she saw her brother and the blonde princess. "Oh...my...gosh..."

"So you finally noticed them," Kai said as he glanced at Athrun and Cagalli. "Why don't you go over there?" By the time he looked back, Jean had already disappeared. Much to his surprise, he saw Jean running towards Athrun and Cagalli. He touched his temple and sighed. "That girl sure acts quickly when it comes to Princess Cagalli."

Meanwhile, Cagalli was instructing her driver to wait for her while she goes off to see Athrun's sister. "Just go park the car," she told the driver. "I won't be long."

The driver nodded his head in reply. He started the car and went to park it.

Cagalli turned to Athrun and smiled. "Let's go." But she noticed that Athrun wasn't even looking at her. "Athrun?"

"Don't look now…" He pointed at a certain direction. "But my sister is coming."

The blonde looked at the direction to where he was pointing at. She saw a red-head girl approaching them while waving her hand. "So, that's your sister?" she asked, turning back at Athrun.

Athrun nodded. "Yup, the one and only," he said in an exasperated tone.

All of a sudden, Jean pounced on him, almost making him fall. She hugged him tightly around her arms, or more like choking him to death. "I'm so glad to see you, Nii-san," she said.

Well, Athrun couldn't reply since he couldn't even breathe. His lungs were screaming for air. His face turned a little red, which made Cagalli laughed a little. She figured that he needed some help. "Um," started Cagalli, "Zala-san, you're killing your brother."

Jean slowly turned her head to Cagalli. She blinked several times before she realized what she was doing. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" she yelled out loud. She released Athrun right away. "Nii-san, I'm so sorry!"

Athrun dropped to his knees, trying to regain his breath and composure. He stood up after a few seconds and gave Jean a death glare.

The younger Zala clasped her hands together as she profusely apologized to the older Zala.

"I'm sure she didn't mean too," Cagalli said as she placed a hand on Athrun's shoulder.

Athrun glanced at Cagalli, who was looking at him with soft and kind eyes. He simply blushed at this. "I know, Cagalli, but I should warn you, my sister is wild."

When Jean heard Athrun saying Cagalli's name, she got pretty restless. She dragged Athrun over to her side and pulled her ear nearer to her lips. "You just called the princess by her first name," she whispered loudly. "What's up with that?!"

"Well... uh... It's like this..." Athrun tried to explain.

"I told him to call me by my first name," Cagalli suddenly answered for Athrun.

"What?!" Jean exclaimed. "That means you two are pretty close now..."

"You could say that," Cagalli replied. "Athrun and I are good friends."

Jean grinned. "That's good to hear." She slightly lifted her hand in front of Cagalli. "Let me start over again. I'm Jean Zala," Jean introduced herself promptly. "I'm Athrun's younger sister."

Cagalli gladly took her hand and shook hands with her. "It's nice to meet you, Jean," she said. "From now on let's be friends."

Jean could only just jump for joy after hearing that. Imagine, her, being friends with the princess, the person that she admired so much, was wonderful for her. "Of course!" she answered. "I would love that. We can be friends forever and ever if you want." Her fan girl mode has just kicked up to hyper mode. She took out her handy digital camera from her pocket and took a picture of Cagalli on the spot.

The princess was a bit startled at her actions. She was speechless yet comfortable around the red-head. She could tell that Jean was nothing like Athrun because of her personality. She was spunky, easy-going, and cheerful. But one trait that made Jean and Athrun the same was their emerald-green eyes. Their eyes had the same kind of aura inside of them. Ever since the day she met Athrun, she had grown to admire his eyes. There was something in them that made her feel so comfortable and warm. While her own eyes turned to the siblings, she saw that they were arguing about something. Seeing them like that reminded her of Kira and herself.

Thinking of Kira, she just remembered that she has to go back to the mansion before Kira wakes up. "Athrun, we have to back now," she told him while looking at her wristwatch. "Kira's going to kill me."

"I thought Representative Yamato had already given you the freedom?" Athrun asked.

"Yeah, but only if I ask permission first," Cagalli replied. "Gosh, you know Kira always act like he's father or someone."

"Too bad..." Jean sighed in disappointment. "But come and visit me if you have the time, princess." She told this to Cagalli with a cute puppy dog expression on her face.

Who couldn't resist that adorable face?! Well, not Cagalli, so she instantly agreed to visit her sometime.

"That's great! I'll be expecting that," Jean said.

Kai eyed the group from a certain distance. He was hidden behind a tree as he spied on them through his binoculars. "Jean is having a good time talking to the princess," he muttered. "But the fact Athrun is with her is really bugging me." His fists were now clenched. He suddenly punched the bark of the tree real hard. "I'm not going to let Athrun have all the fun." He smirked as he locked his crystal blue-eyes on Athrun.

Unexpectedly, he was pulled by someone by the collar. "Hey, what the?!" he yelled. He looked behind him and saw Miriallia. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What's the big idea Hawe?! Can't you see I'm busy here?" He reprimanded Milly.

Countering his actions, she also narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She let out a mischievous smile, which made Kai feel nervous. "Busy?!" she said, "on what?"

"Um... It's nothing!" Kai answered. "Anyway, what do you want?" he asked again, but this time in a low tone.

"You're wanted at the hanger again, Kazuya!" Miriallia told him.

"Again?" Kai groaned. He scratched his head in frustration. "I'm really getting tired of this, but it can't be helped." He quickly ran off to the hangar again.

"He's weird yet skillful," Miriallia murmured. She then noticed three people talking together. She recognized all three of them as her friends, since they were Athrun, Cagalli, and Jean. She wanted to approach them and greet them, but she was needed in the Archangel as soon as possible. It was too bad that she wasn't going to have any free time for the whole day. It would be nice to chat with her friends. However, she can't neglect her work. She turned around and walked back to the hangar.

_Kira's room_

The head representative had just woken up from his peaceful slumber. He stretched out his arms and let out a small yawn. He jumped off his bed and went to the terrace. The fresh scent of the flowers entered his nose and gave him a great feeling. The morning breeze was cool and the weather was fine. He sensed that the day was going to be good for him.

"I wonder if Cagalli's awake already?" he muttered to himself. "Well, I wouldn't dare to wake her up, considering that I almost got killed the last time..." He sighed and then laughed at the mere thought of it. His sister was so violent. She has the tendency to act rough, but she can be vulnerable at times.

He went back to his room, sat down on the bed and stretched out his arms again. "I better get ready for work," he said to himself. But before he stood, he briefly glanced at the portrait of Cagalli on the wall. She was wearing an elegant green dress, with her hair tied up neatly. "She looks so cute."

RING! RING! RING! The telephone suddenly rang. Kira picked up the phone right away. "Hello, Yamato here. Who is this?"

"It's good to hear your voice again, Kira-sama," a male voice spoke from the other end of the line.

"Rey?!" Kira exclaimed. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it is me, Kira-sama."

"It's been a while since you last called. How are you?"

"I'm fine and I'm sure you're doing well as the Head Representative."

"It's a tough job, but it's okay."

"How's Cagalli-san?" Rey questioned with enthusiasm. "Can I speak to her?"

"I think my sister is still sleeping," Kira answered. "I don't want to wake her up since..."

"She gets really cranky when you do that," Rey continued for Kira. He seemed to know Cagalli well. "And when she's cranky, she's dangerous. Cagalli-san is always like that."

"I know."

"Kira-sama, I'm going to visit ORB two days from now."

"That's great!" Kira said excitedly. "Cagalli is going to be so happy to see you again."

"I'm sure of it," Rey replied. "I think I hear my uncle calling. I better go now. I'll call you again if I have the time."

"Okay, later Rey!" Kira said. He placed the phone down and dropped himself on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and smiled contentedly. "It's been a long time since I last saw Rey. I better prepare for his arrival and I should tell Cagalli."

**To be continued...**

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JC: I know some/most of you hate Rey, but please bear with me. Okay, you guys must be wondering what Rey's role here. Just find out in the next chapter. He will be one of the essential characters in this story. Don't forget to review. No flaming please!


	6. Rivals

JC: Chapter 6 is up! You guys may be wondering what Rey is doing here. I'm no Rey-fan, but I just thought of a crazy idea about him. Anyway, I've received so many reviews and I appreciate them. Please read this fic and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. I only owned the character Jean Zala and the plot.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 06: Rivals

Kira decided to wake Cagalli up, even though he knew it would be dangerous to do so. But he was quite excited to tell her the news about Rey. He left his room in a hurry and headed towards Cagalli's room. Once there, he knocked on the door, and as he expected, nobody answered. He figured that his sister was still sleeping. "Cagalli's such a heavy sleeper." He heaved a deep sigh. "Oh, well, I should tell her later."

He walked back to his room, but before he turned the doorknob, he heard a car pulling over. "I wonder who that could be." He made his way downstairs and to the main door. He opened the door, looked outside and saw a familiar white limo. "That's Cagalli's limo!" he exclaimed.

Cagalli and Athrun got off the limo only to see Kira looking at them with an obviously pissed expression. The princess immediately backed away as she eyed her brother in an awkward way.

"Where have you been?!" Kira asked sternly.

"Why do I always get caught?" Cagalli mumbled. She turned back to Kira and smiled.

"I was asking you a question, Cagalli," Kira said. "Answer me."

"We went to ORB Headquarters, Representative," Athrun answered as he properly saluted.

"I see." His voice toned down all of a sudden. He approached Cagalli and placed both hands on her shoulder. He stared straight into her golden-brown eyes and smiled. "If you're thinking that I'm going to scold you again, then you're seriously wrong." He walked back to the door and turned to the two. "You can do whatever you like, Cagalli. That's what I promised you, right?"

Cagalli blinked twice before recalling her talk with Kira yesterday. Kira did say something like that, but she thought she needed to ask permission first. "I forgot." She chuckled. "Thanks Kira..."

"Whatever, sis," Kira replied. "By the way, Rey will be visiting us two days from now."

"What?!" Cagalli yelled. "That's great! I really missed him." She clasped her hands as she smiled widely at her brother. "Kira, I'm so excited."

On the other hand, Athrun appeared confused by this. He didn't know who Rey was. But from what he had observed, Rey seemed to be an important person to Cagalli.

_ORB Military Headquarters_

Cagalli and Athrun paid Jean a visit again at ORB Military HQ. And Jean, being a big fan of the blonde princess, was delighted to see her. "I'm glad to see you again, Princess!" she said as she politely bowed at Cagalli.

"Skip the formalities, Jean," Cagalli reprimanded her. "Just call me by name."

Jean looked at the blonde and smiled. "Thank you, C-Cagalli-san."

"Cagalli!" the princess exclaimed. "Just Cagalli, got that?!"

Jean nodded her head vigorously. "Okay, I got it!"

When Athrun placed a hand on his sister's shoulder, Jean turned her head at him and raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Nii-san?" she asked him.

Athrun pointed a finger at the clock, telling her that it was time for her shift.

At that moment, Jean's face paled. "I'm going to be late!" she shrieked. She started to panic that she almost hit the wall. She hastily gathered all her report papers and almost tripped on her own shoe. She was acting like a total idiot in front of Cagalli and Athrun. "No, I'm late!"

It wasn't something new for Athrun to see his sister like that. But for Cagalli it was really funny. Cagalli tried to hold her laughter back at first, but she couldn't contain it. Well, Jean didn't mind Cagalli laughing at her. Jean felt rather contented that she was able to see the blonde so happy.

Cagalli noticed Jean staring at her and stopped laughing immediately. She threw Jean a sorry look and said, "I didn't mean to laugh at you, Jean."

"I know," Jean replied, "and its okay."

"That's funny," Athrun said sarcastically. "The last time I laughed at you, you almost strangled me to death."

Jean immediately shot him a death glare. She held up a fist as a fair warning for what she may do to him if he continued babbling. Athrun got the message, but he just lightly laughed at her. "Nii-san, you better stop or else!" Jean warned.

Athrun raised his hands in a form of surrender. "I'll shut up now."

"You know, you two remind me so much of Kira and me," Cagalli told them.

"I guess most siblings tend to act this way towards each other," Athrun added.

Jean and Cagalli both nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Athrun and Cagalli headed towards the Mobile Suit Hangar. There, the princess was greeted by many soldiers, including the technicians and special officers.

"This really bugs me," Cagalli mumbled.

"You really don't like to be treated like a celebrity, huh?" Athrun said.

"Do you think I enjoy being princess?" Cagalli's face turned sour.

Athrun chuckled, "No… But isn't it nice that you're the most admired person in ORB?"

Cagalli smiled at the soldier passing by before she turned to Athrun again. "I think it's great, but it's a little too much for me. Being a princess is hard and troublesome."

"But being the head representative of a country is even harder," Athrun added.

Well, Cagalli had to admit that Athrun was right. Being a head representative of a neutral nation wasn't actually just a walk in a park. She knew how serious Kira was with his job and he never showed her any signs of hardship, not even once. She had always seen Kira with a smile whenever he comes home from work. She had never heard him complaining about his work either. But now she was starting to doubt that. She glanced at Athrun and faintly smiled. "I think you're right," she said.

"Representative Yamato is a great leader and you're pretty lucky to have him for a brother."

She nodded her head. "I agree with you all the way!"

Kai happened to pass by and spotted them. He immediately smiled at the sight of the princess and went into fan mode as he approached her. "Princess!" he called out. "It's nice to see you again!" He slightly bowed his head at her as a sign of respect. "What brings you here today, princess?"

Cagalli looked inquisitively at him. "Um, who are you again?" she questioned as she pointed a finger at him.

"You don't remember me?" Kai said, pretending to look hurt and pitiful. "We met in the city."

Cagalli looked at him blankly before asking Athrun, "Who is he again?"

"He's Kai Kazuya, the guy who exposed you as the princess in the city," Athrun explained with a hint of derision in his voice.

"So, do you remember me now?" Kai urged.

"I remember now," Cagalli spoke in a deep voice. She narrowed her eyes at him and approached him until her body was just inches away from his.

Kai grinned widely as his face flushed up. He lightly laughed and scratched the back of his head, trying to calm himself down. "I'm glad to hear that, princess."

Unexpectedly, Cagalli gave him one hard blow on the head.

"Ouch!" He held his head and massaged it. "What did you do that for, princess?" he asked her.

"That's what you get for opening that big mouth of yours!" she yelled at him, practically shoving a fist towards his face. "Didn't you know that you almost got me in trouble?!"

After hearing that, Kai started bowing like a servant as he apologized sincerely to Cagalli.

"You look stupid, Kazuya," Athrun commented.

"Shut the hell up, Zala! I don't want to hear any comments from you!" Kai wailed. He looked back at Cagalli and clasped his hands together in a praying form. "Please forgive me, princess."

"Okay, just stop calling me princess!" Cagalli said.

Kai immediately got up and clasped her hand. "Thank you!" he told her.

Athrun clenched his fist the minute Kai took hold of Cagalli's hand. He reached for Kai's shoulder and gripped it tightly.

"Hey!" Kai yelled. "What do you think you're doing? That hurts, you know."

Athrun smiled cunningly at him. "How long are you planning to hold her hand, Kazuya?"

Kai glanced back at the princess and blushed. He instantly released her hand and laughed stupidly.

"Kai, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing is wrong, princess," he told her. "Don't mind me." He lightly chuckled to himself.

"If you say so," she replied before turning to her bodyguard. "We have to go now, Athrun."

"You're right," Athrun said. "You still have a meeting to attend with Representative Yamato."

"I know that." She sighed deeply. "I hate going to meetings. They're so boring. I better hurry back before Kira scolds me." She turned her head to Kai and smiled. "We have to go now. It was nice meeting you again, Kai."

"But I wanted to spend more time with you and get to know you better," he wined like a little spoiled boy.

Athrun got annoyed by this. "I'm sorry, but the princess has to attend an important meeting, Kazuya. It's more important than you."

"What did you say?!" Kai exclaimed as he grabbed Athrun by the collar. "Are you trying to make a point or are you trying to pick a fight with me?!"

"Of course not," Athrun replied, "and I'm not mocking you either. I'm just saying that you're wasting Cagalli's time." He brushed Kai's hand away, grabbed Cagalli by the wrist and dragged her away.

"A... Athrun!" Cagalli uttered, seemingly confused with his actions. "Stop! Ah!" She noticed how mean Athrun was to Kai. But Kai didn't do anything to upset him. He was just being nice to her, so what was his big problem?

On the other hand, Kai got even more furious at Athrun. "Who does he think he is taking away the princess like that?!" he uttered. "I'm not going to let this pass by." In an instant, he ran and caught up with them. He stood firm as he glared at Athrun with those furious blue eyes.

Athrun released Cagalli from his grasp and faced him with the same look. "What now, Kazuya?" he asked him seriously. "We have to go!"

"I wasn't finished talking with the princess, yet you rudely took her away," Kai answered Athrun. "You're in no position to do that!"

Athrun neither flinched nor said a single word to Kai. He just stood in silence as he continued the staring contest with his comrade. He noticed how angry Kai looked and from what he had observed, he figured that Kai also liked the princess. That was the reason why he felt jealous when Kai held Cagalli's hand earlier. It just hit him hard and made him uneasy. Of course, knowing that, he was determined to take Cagalli away from Kai. However, he also felt wrong about it.

Kai was getting impatient with Athrun. First of all, he was annoyed since Athrun just pulled Cagalli away. Second thing was the fact that they were always together. And the last one was because Athrun called the princess by her first name. "Tell me something, Zala, why are you always with her?" he questioned.

"Didn't you know that I'm her bodyguard?" Athrun replied nonchalantly.

"What?!" Kai yelled in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me!"

"I'm not kidding, Kazuya," Athrun countered.

"He's telling the truth," Cagalli added. "I thought you knew about it."

Now Kai was really jealous of Athrun. Not only does he get to call her by her name, he also gets to spend so much time with her every single day. He wished he was the bodyguard instead of Athrun.

Cagalli checked the time and it was only 30 minutes till meeting time. She informed Athrun about this right away and told him that they should go. Before they took off, she told Kai that she was going to visit again tomorrow.

A smile grew on his face as he hollered a very loud "yes!" that can be heard from the outside. Cagalli laughed at this and still she wondered about him. Athrun reminded her about the meeting, causing her to panic. She grabbed her bodyguard and dragged him all the way to the limo.

Kai watched them took off in the limo. He even waved his hand at Cagalli, but he was sure that she didn't see that. He sighed deeply and leaned his back on the wall. He stared blankly at some mobile suits and thought about the princess. He glanced at his hand—the hand he used to hold Cagalli's hand. He smiled in contentment at his palm and vowed to never wash it again. "Never to wash it?" he murmured, letting out a slight chuckle. "I must be out of my mind." He then thought about Athrun. "He's going to be a big problem." He found out from Jean that Athrun also has feelings for the princess. But he swore to himself that he won't be beaten by Athrun.

While riding back to the parliament house, Cagalli was thinking about Rey. She was pretty excited to meet him again. "I wonder what Rey looks like now," Cagalli said.

"Huh?" Athrun mumbled. "What did you say Cagalli?"

"You heard me?" she asked. "I have to stop thinking out loud." She lightly chuckled to herself.

"You were saying something about Rey," Athrun said with slight hesitation.

"Do you know him?" Cagalli questioned with enthusiasm. "Rey Za Burrel?"

"I don't know him that well. But if I'm not mistaken, he's the nephew of PLANT Supreme Chairman, Gilbert Dullindal," Athrun answered.

Cagalli nodded. "You're absolutely correct!" she said. "Rey is a very important friend of mine. He's kind, polite, and he's really handsome too. He's really popular with the girls."

From the way she talked about Rey, Athrun thought Cagalli liked him very much. He frowned and turned his head away from her.

Cagalli noticed the sudden change of expression on Athrun's face and got worried. "What's the matter, Athrun?" she asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

He immediately glanced back at the princess and smiled. "Nothing is wrong," he told her. But deep inside his heart, he was troubled.

She sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, do you want to know more about Rey?"

Athrun shook his head and said, "No, because I'm going to see him tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," Cagalli replied cheerfully, oblivious to Athrun's feelings. "And you'll see that he's really a nice guy."

"I'm sure he is," Athrun said, his lips curving into a deep frown.

_PLANT_

Rey was all set for his trip to ORB. He had packed everything he needed, including his guns. He figured that he may need them when he'll encounter trouble. He rechecked all his stuff and saw that everything was in order. "Finally," he said, "I'm done."

He stretched out his arms and walked out to the balcony where he could see the busy streets filled with vehicles and tall buildings from afar. He sat down on his chair as he gazed up at the sky. He started thinking about Cagalli and smiled.

"Cagalli," Rey murmured. "I wonder if I'll have the chance to..." His thoughts were cut off by a loud knock that came from the door. He got up from his chair and opened the door. He saw Gilbert Dullindal, his uncle and Chairman of PLANT, with a wide smirk on his face. It gave him a strange feeling.

"Are you prepared for tomorrow?" Gilbert asked.

Rey's face turned serious the minute he heard Gilbert's voice. "Yes," he replied in a low tone. "Have you come here just to ask me that?"

The chairman suddenly laughed at him, which made Rey furious. "What's so funny?" Rey questioned. He was not in the mood for jokes and laughs. "Do you think I'm hilarious to you, Gil?"

"You look scary, Rey," Gil said. "I just came here to check up on you. That's all."

"If that's the case, you may leave me now," Rey told him with serious and deadly eyes. He pushed the door to close it, but Gil immediately stopped it.

The chairman then barged into the room and pushed Rey to the floor. He stared angrily at Rey this time. "Why are you being so rude to your uncle now?" he questioned.

Rey stood up and faced him calmly. "I don't want to do this," he said. "I don't want to kill him."

"We've been over this, Rey. I thought you understood me. You know the consequences if you betray me!" He grabbed Rey by the collar and pulled him towards him. "If you won't do it, then I'll have to kill her and I know you don't want that." He reminded him of the consequences.

Rey pushed himself away from Gil and took a few steps backwards. His blue eyes glared right at the dark-haired man and his fists were clenched in rage.

But Gil wasn't intimidated by Rey. Instead, he just smirked at him.

Rey, knowing that he couldn't do anything to stop Gil, punched the wall so hard. He was frustrated and he felt helpless.

"Your mission is quite simple and you know it," Gil told him. "You just have to kill him and that's it." He placed a hand on Rey's shoulder. "You can't back out from this."

"Don't touch me!" yelled Rey, "I know I don't have any choice but to obey you!" A tear suddenly fell from his eye which surprised him. He turned away from Gil to hide it. "Gil, just promise me that you won't hurt her." His fists trembled in rage and also fear. "Swear it!" he demanded.

Gil smiled and raised his hand slightly. "I swear I won't lay a finger on her. Besides, after your mission, you can live happily with her."

"I'm not sure if I will be happy with that. I'm not sure if she'll be happy if I'll kill her most important person," Rey thought sadly.

_Next Day_

Kira woke up early and immediately got dressed. He knew today was a special day, because Rey was coming. He went to Cagalli's room to wake her up. "Cagalli!" he yelled. His voice startled Cagalli, making her fall out of her bed again. He just laughed at her. "That's the 98th time you fell out of bed, Cagalli." He had been keeping count since they were kids. His sister had the knack of falling out of bed in the morning.

Angered by this, Cagalli immediately stood and showed a fist to Kira. "Kira, I'm going to murder you and I don't care if you're my brother!" she yelled at him. She was going to approach him when her blanket got wrapped up around her feet and caused her to fall down again.

"Cagalli, you're so clumsy!" Kira said as he laughed out loud like a lunatic.

"Kira Yamato!" Cagalli uttered, pouncing on him like a tiger. Her full force sent Kira pummeling to the floor. She positioned herself on top of him and placed both hands on his neck. She started choking him until he couldn't breathe. "I warned you not to mess with me!"

"I-I'm so... s-sorry..." Kira murmured as he struggled for air. "C-Cagalli…let me…go…now… I-I n-need air…"

Cagalli felt contented to see her brother suffering like that. She released him and got off of him. "So, are you okay?" she asked him with a smile.

Kira slowly got up and faced her angrily. "Does it look like I'm fine to you? You almost killed me."

"That's what you get for waking me up so early in the morning and for laughing at me." There was a pissed look on her face as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I knew something like this would happen if I wake you up. I should have listened to my conscience," Kira murmured softly.

"Why are you here anyway?" Cagalli asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that Rey will be arriving in an hour, so you better get ready."

"An hour?!" Cagalli immediately rushed towards the bathroom with a towel and a bathrobe.

Kira got up and went to the bathroom door. He knocked on it and told Cagalli to hurry up.

"Don't bother me, Kira!" Cagalli said angrily. "I'm already speeding things up here!"

"I'll give you only 5 minutes," Kira said. "I'll be waiting for you outside in my limo. I'll also inform Lt. Zala about this. Wear your military uniform properly, okay?"

"Geez!" Cagalli complained like a spoiled child. "You sound like Mana for crying out loud. Just go already!"

Kira walked towards the door and opened it. Before he went out, he looked into Cagalli's closet, where all her uniforms were kept. "I'm sure that tomboy sister of mine will wear pants, but not if I can help it." He had a sly plan in mind. He took out all the pants from the closet, leaving only some blue micro mini-skirts behind. "She has no choice but to wear them now." Kira giggled at his idea. He slowly walked out the room and closed the door.

After taking a refreshing shower, Cagalli went to her closet and pulled out her coat from the rack and wore it. Her military coat had gold chains, four stripes on the left part and gold bars on the collar. It signified her rank as the Supreme Commander of the ORB Military. As she reached in for her pants, she noticed that they were all gone. "What the?!" Cagalli yelled as her face paled. "What happened to all my pants?!"

She looked around the room, but they were nowhere to be seen. She sighed in frustration. "What am I suppose to wear now?" she asked herself. She looked into her closet again and spotted the mini-skirts. "I would die if anyone sees me wearing those! But I don't have much choice." She grabbed one of the skirts and wore it. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she noticed how short the skirt was. It was two inches above the knees! Cagalli blushed madly at this. "I bet this is all Kira's doing."

She grabbed a pair of white boots and slipped them on. She glanced at herself in the mirror again and felt something was missing. Although she didn't want to admit it, the skirt looked good on her and the boots were okay. But when she saw her hair, she felt that she must fix it up. She decided to style her hair, which was a highly unusual thing for her to do. She went to her dresser and grabbed some pins and ribbons. She pulled out a comb and started combing her hair until her hair was all in place.

"Now what style should I do?" she said. "Wait a minute! Why am I worrying on such things?! What am I thinking?!"

Suddenly, Mana came in without any warning. Cagalli got startled by her entrance and she scolded her for doing that. Mana was about to apologize to the princess, but she got worked up when she saw Cagalli wearing a skirt!

Cagalli slightly blushed at this and told her not to mind it.

But Mana was so thrilled that she even suggested fixing her hair, which Cagalli highly disagreed. Mana insisted on it until Cagalli gave up.

"Do what you want!" Cagalli said, annoyed, as she groaned in frustration.

"Just sit tight, princess," Mana said. "This won't take long. I bet you'll look very lovely after I'm done with you." She clapped her hands in excitement.

Meanwhile, Kira and Athrun were waiting for Cagalli outside beside the limo. Kira was asking Athrun about his job. He just wanted to make sure if everything was going well between him and Cagalli. Athrun assured Kira that his job was fine and he has nothing to worry about. Kira was relieved to hear that.

"She must really like you," Kira said. "Normally, the bodyguards that I hired for her don't last. You're really different."

Athrun faced Kira and smiled. "I'm glad to hear that the princess likes me, but I think there's another reason to that. Princess Cagalli is really a great girl. The times I've spent with her were fun. I really like being with her."

Kira stared at him and he focused mainly on Athrun's emerald-green eyes that were filled with a certain aura. He could sense some deep emotions from Athrun. He guessed that Athrun might be in love with Cagalli. He can't be too sure about that yet, but he wanted to confirm it by asking him. When he was about to ask, Cagalli came out and caught his attention. "Cagalli?" he said as he gazed upon his sister with amazement.

Athrun also had his eyes locked on the blonde princess. Cagalli looked stunning wearing the ORB uniform with a skirt and white boots. And the best part of her was her hair, which was tied up in a cluttered bun. Her hair style revealed her golden-brown eyes even more. "Princess, you look great," he told her.

Cagalli looked at him and blushed. "Thanks," she replied shyly. "But I really don't feel comfortable right now."

"That's much better than pants, Cagalli," Kira said.

Cagalli glared at her brother, "I know you were the one who took my pants so I would have to wear a skirt."

"You have to look good for Rey," Kira told her.

Of course, she wanted to look good for Rey, but not by wearing something she doesn't like. She just wanted to be herself. She stomped over to the limo and went in. She didn't want to argue with Kira anymore and decided to ignore him.

"She's one hothead, don't you agree, Athrun?" Kira turned to Athrun.

"Yes, she is," Athrun replied.

"Well, we better go now since Rey and the Chairman will be arriving any minute." Kira went inside the limo first.

Athrun stood in silence as he thought about Rey. He had seen Rey before on televisions and newspapers, and now he was going to meet him. Somehow, Athrun envied Rey, because Cagalli seemed to like him more than a friend. But he wasn't sure if it was love or something else.

**To be continued...**

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JC: I'm pairing Rey up with Cagalli. I just thought of doing something new. I'm tired of Cagalli being paired up with the wimp, Yuuna. Rey is much better, even though he's a bad guy in Destiny. Well, he's not really bad once you get to know him. Of course, it's still Athrun and Cagalli. Rey is going to be another rival. This is a bit long and I didn't notice that. Did you guys enjoy reading it? If so, then tell me what you think by reviewing it, and a little reminder, no flames please.


	7. Fiance or Friend?

JC: Ah!! I hate exams! I'm having a hard time in Chemistry, but I'm doing my best. I will pass, I just know it. Exams, yup, they are the main reason why I update late. Got to focus on my studies first. Anyway, Rey, Gil and his three bodyguards will arrive in ORB. What is Rey's relationship to Cagalli? I'm sure you guys are in for a surprise. Please read on!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed and the characters.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 07: Fiancé or friend?

A shuttle with the ZAFT symbol on it had arrived in ORB Military HQ. Gilbert Dullindal and Rey Za Burrel, along with three bodyguards wearing red ZAFT uniforms, got off of the shuttle. They were properly greeted by several ORB officers and soldiers.

A blue-haired man with a colonel rank stepped out and welcomed the Coordinators. "I'm pleased to meet you, PLANT Supreme Chairman Dullindal." He saluted the Chairman properly as a sign of respect and courtesy. "I am Colonel Kisaka."

The three bodyguards saluted back. Kisaka glanced briefly at them and realized that they were still very young. Two of them were about the age of nineteen and one of them was about sixteen. The youngest soldier had furious red eyes and messy black hair, while the one with the white hair had clear crystal blue eyes and other one was blonde and purple eyed. Kisaka had to admit that they were fine-looking soldiers.

Rey's eyes wandered around in search for a certain blonde girl. He noticed that she wasn't there, so he deeply sighed. "Where is she?" he asked himself. "I thought she'll be here." He grimaced. He turned serious in an instant when Gil called his attention.

"Are you looking for her?" Gil asked him politely.

"Isn't it obvious, Gil? I want to see her," Rey replied in a rough tone.

Gil clenched his fist, but he tried to stay calm, because the ORB soldiers were watching him. He turned to Kisaka and asked, "Where is Princess Cagalli? Rey wants to see her."

"The princess and the head representative are waiting for you in the lounge," Kisaka answered him. "Please follow me." Turning around, he started walking.

Gil, Rey and the bodyguards followed Kisaka to the lounge. There, Rey smiled when he saw Cagalli.

"Cagalli-san!" Rey called as he approached the blonde until he was a few inches from her.

Cagalli smiled back at him and formally saluted him. "It's nice to see you again, Rey Za Burrel."

"What's with the politeness? It's not like you," Rey told her.

"I know, I was just kidding." Cagalli giggled.

Rey noticed Athrun standing behind Cagalli, looking straight at him. His emerald-green eyes somehow struck his heart with a strange feeling. "Cagalli-san, who is he?" Rey gestured his hand at Athrun.

"Him?" Cagalli muttered, looking at Athrun. "He's my friend and bodyguard, Athrun Zala."

Athrun stepped forward and saluted him. "Lt. Athrun Zala of ORB Military," he promptly introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Rey saluted back and smiled courteously at Athrun. "I'm sure you're doing your best in protecting Cagalli-san," he told him. "Keep up the good work, Lt. Zala."

"Thank you," replied Athrun.

Cagalli turned to the chairman and saluted. "It's been a long time, Chairman Dullindal."

The chairman grinned at her. "You have grown into a beautiful woman, Cagalli-san. You were still a child the last time I saw you."

Cagalli slightly blushed at the compliment. She turned her head away from the chairman. "I... I don't think so. I'm still a tomboy and I still hate dresses!" she reminded him.

Gil stared at her current attire and smirked. "I thought you said you hated skirts."

"I do, but Kira made me wear this!"

"I forced her to wear a skirt, so she'll look like a lady in front of Rey," Kira spoke as he entered the lounge.

"And I'm going to kill you once we'll get home," Cagalli warned her brother. She marched towards Kira and shot him a serious glare. Her golden-brown eyes were furious enough to make the brunette representative nervous.

Kira smiled and laughed uneasily at her. "I better stay away from her for now," he told himself. He turned to Rey and Gil and extended his hand to shake hands with them. "I'm glad that you two made it to ORB safely."

"Thank you, Kira-sama." Rey took Kira's hand and shook it.

Gil also did the same thing after Rey was done. "Now let us talk about the current situation of our nation, Representative Yamato," he suggested.

Kira nodded. "Yes, we'll talk in the meeting room." He then told Gil to follow him to the desired place. He walked out of the lounge first, followed by Gil and one bodyguard—the one with the blonde hair.

"I thought they would never leave." Cagalli sighed as she turned to Rey. "Are you free right now?" she asked him.

Rey nodded his head. "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

Cagalli smiled and held his hands, making Rey blush a bit. "Let's do something fun!" she spouted as she turned her head to the window, where she could see some mobile suits standing stiffly beside the buildings. "Let's go to the city." She then threw a soft gaze at him.

The blonde guy couldn't resist her, so he had no choice but to agree with her. He slowly nodded his head at the princess. "Okay, but let's try not to get in trouble this time." He remembered the last time he went to the city with Cagalli. It was mayhem all over, but he still had fun with her.

**Flashback**

_A 10 year-old Rey Za Burrel and Cagalli Yula Athha were walking through the streets of ORB. Since they were related to supreme leaders, they hid their identity under hats and sunglasses. They headed to the park and played basketball. Since there was nobody around, they took off their glasses and hats. _

_Rey was going offense, while Cagalli was in defense. Rey tried to pass her, but she held a tight defense. "You're pretty good, Cagalli-san," Rey told her. _

_"I practice a lot, you know," Cagalli boasted. _

_At that moment Cagalli managed to swipe the ball from Rey and in an instant, she turned and faced the ring. With one straight jump, she threw the ball and it landed in the ring. She had successfully scored a point. She raised her hands and hollered one big 'hurray!' She turned to Rey and broadly smiled at him while making a peace sign. _

_He sighed and scratched his head. "I can't believe I lost to a girl," he mumbled. _

_"Don't let it get to you," Cagalli said. "It was just a game and it was so fun!"_

_Just then, coming out of nowhere, a soccer ball hit Rey on the head. Rey immediately dropped to his knees and held the sore part of his head. _

_"Rey, are you all right?" Cagalli asked, kneeling down to his level. _

_"I think so," Rey replied. "Where did that ball come from?" He pointed curiously at the soccer ball._

_"I'm so sorry about that!" A boy appeared and ran towards them. He bowed his head and apologized. _

_Rey looked at the boy. "It's o—." _

_"Sorry doesn't cut it!" the blonde girl broke him off. "You hurt my friend here!" She stood and glared at the boy. _

_"I said I was sorry," defended the boy. _

_"It's really okay, Cagalli-san. It was just an accident." Rey tried to calm her down. _

_Cagalli faced Rey with a pissed look. "Are you sure? I can teach this boy a lesson if you want." _

_Rey shook his head and waved his hands in dismay. "No, Cagalli-san!"_

_"You're too kind, Rey. If you're going to be the future leader of PLANT, then you can't have that attitude. Rey Za Burrel, why don't you act tough for once? " _

_"Rey Za Burrel and Cagalli?" the boy murmured as he stared at the two blondes. _

_The two turned to the boy and gasped. "Oh no... If this boy finds out..." Rey thought. "I don't like this," Cagalli whispered to Rey. _

_The boy looked at them closely. After a second, he realized that it was really them. The daughter of the Chief Representative and the nephew of the PLANT Supreme Chairman were standing right in front of him! The boy got thrilled. "Princess Cagalli and Rey Za Burrel, I'm so glad to meet you!" he shouted so loud that the other kids heard him. _

_In an instant, a huge crowd of kids surrounded them like bees. _

_"Now look at what you did." Rey narrowed his eyes at Cagalli,_

_Smiling awkwardly at him, Cagalli scratched the back of her head and lightly laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." The princess wanted to apologize more, but Rey told her to save it until they were out of that mess. _

_The kids were begging for their autograph and Cagalli gladly signed them. _

_However, she got dragged away by Rey before she could even sign all of the kids' books. When they realized the kids were following them, they immediately bolted out of sight. The two of them ran like they were in a marathon. _

_"My feet are killing me!" Cagalli complained. _

_"Quit whining if you don't want to end up as one of their collections," Rey told her. _

_"Whatever..." Cagalli rolled her eyes away._

**Flashback ended**

Rey and Cagalli laughed at the memories of their childhood days.

"Are you still being treated like a celebrity until now?" Rey suddenly asked.

Cagalli nodded in response. "And I'm really sick of it."

"You're the princess and it's only natural for you to have so many admirers."

"Well, you're probably the best-looking guy in PLANT. I'm sure you have tons of fan girls."

"Giggling girls are scary and annoying. I don't really enjoy their screams."

"You're lucky that I'm not like them."

"That's good to hear."

Athrun and Rey's bodyguards watched the two blondes talking and laughing out loud. From their point of view they seemed to be a match made from heaven. Their closeness was making Athrun awfully jealous. He tried hiding his displeased expression, but the bodyguard with the red-eyes seemed to notice it.

"You don't look too happy there," the red-eyed guy spoke.

Athrun glanced at him with a 'huh' face.

"Rey is really the perfect guy for the princess," he said, crossing his arms. "Don't you agree with me?"

Athrun really didn't want to agree, but he still nodded his head. "Ye...Yeah..." he softly spoke with a little hesitation.

Shinn noticed his expression again. He knew that something was bothering Athrun. He didn't want to get nosy, so he just asked his name. "You, what's your name?"

"I'm Athrun Zala," Athrun answered.

"Well, I'm Shinn Asuka," Shinn replied. "This guy beside me is Yzak Joule." He pointed at his fellow bodyguard who had silver hair and blue eyes.

"You two are bodyguards of Rey Za Burrel, right?" asked Athrun.

"Yup and we're friends too," Shinn replied.

"How about you, Zala?" Yzak questioned Athrun with a serious expression. "How are things going with you and the princess?" He turned his head to look at the blonde girl.

"It's okay. We're good friends too. Cagalli... I mean... Princess Cagalli has been good to me." Athrun explained.

Shinn leaned on the wall and glanced back at Athrun coolly. "You call her by first name... That's good to hear. It really means that you two are close like Rey, Yzak and me."

"Tell me something…" Athrun lowered his head as he narrowed his eyes. "How long has Rey been friends with Cagalli?" he asked.

"They've been friends since childhood," told Shinn.

Athrun sighed. "I see..." His eyes softened and his smile turned upside down. He knew his heart was calling out to Cagalli, but his mind held Rey's image in it. He watched her again and noticed how she looked while talking to Rey. Her cheeks were slightly red and her smile was so wide. At that point, Athrun guessed Cagalli liked Rey more than a friend.

_Mansion_

When they reached the mansion, Athrun and Cagalli immediately headed to the living room and settled themselves on the couches.

Athrun slouched on his seat as he thought about Rey and Cagalli as a couple. He had kept on sighing since the time they left HQ.

She noticed him sighing a lot and wondered what his problem was. She moved a bit closer to him and placed a hand on top of his. "What's the matter Athrun?" she asked.

When Athrun threw his gaze on her, his heart pounded like crazy and his cheeks flushed up in an instant. He lowered his head and shook his head slowly. "Nothing is wrong, Cagalli... I'm just tired that's all." He just lied, because he didn't want her to know that Rey was causing him to be so troubled.

Although her bodyguard told her he was fine, she wasn't satisfied. She was so sure that something was bothering him, but she can't force him to tell her. She took her hand back and held her chest. "Athrun, what do you think of Rey?" She changed the topic.

The bodyguard raised his head and looked at the blonde with a stunned face. "Rey Za Burrel? Well... um..." he said. He really didn't want to talk about Rey or say anything nice about him. But he didn't want to hurt Cagalli's feeling, knowing that she was friends with Rey. "He seems to be a nice guy, and I hear he's really popular and athletic," he told her with slight hesitation. He felt bitter after saying such things.

Cagalli smiled. "I'm glad to hear that," she said. "Rey is a total gentleman, but sometimes his politeness is too much for me to handle." She giggled a bit.

Athrun blushed again when he saw Cagalli's smile. It was a warm smile of an angel. If it was possible, he could have taken a picture of her but unfortunately, he didn't have his camera at that time. _Note to self: Always bring camera to capture Cagalli's cute moments._

Kira entered the room and spotted his sister and Athrun. He greeted the two and took a seat right next to his twin. "What are you guys talking about?" he questioned.

"It's nothing important," Cagalli answered.

"I see..." Kira murmured as he frowned and stared at the floor.

Cagalli could sense the presence of melancholy in Kira's heart, since she was basically his twin sister, and it was natural for twins to feel each others emotions.

The brunette stayed quiet. He glanced at Cagalli with a weak smile and posture. He wanted to tell the blonde something important, but he knew it would only make her angry. "Cagalli, you and Rey are..." he started and became quiet again.

"What is it?" Cagalli asked, looking at her brother with a smile.

"I don't know how to say this but..."

"Spit it out, Kira..." Cagalli was getting impatient with him. She was never the type to be patient anyway.

"You and Rey are engaged."

Both Cagalli and Athrun gasped in surprise. It was so unexpected.

"What are you saying?!" Cagalli grabbed her brother by the collar. "He's just my friend. I don't want him to be my fiancé!"

Kira slightly bowed his head at her. "I'm sorry about this, but Chairman Dullindal insisted on this. I was surprised as well." He looked up at his sister, but his eyes caught sight of Athrun. The bodyguard seemed pissed, and he wondered about him for a while, but he immediately drew his attention back to his twin.

Cagalli stood up and faced Kira angrily. "Tell the chairman that I don't want to be engaged," she demanded.

"Don't worry, Cagalli, I'll talk to him again. I'm sure he'll understand your feelings and I'm sure Rey disapproves of this as well."

"You're right." Cagalli heaved a deep sigh. "Just make sure, Kira, or your dead meat," she warned, glaring at him at the same time.

"I'll remember that. Well then, I'll see you later." Kira stood up and exited the living room quietly.

Cagalli sat down and folded her arms. "I can't believe this!" she pouted. "Me and Rey, engaged? I can't even imagine myself dating Rey. What is Chairman Dullindal thinking?"

"So you really don't have feelings for Rey?" Athrun asked out of curiosity.

She shook her head rapidly. "No, he's just my friend for crying out loud!" she wailed.

"I'm sorry for asking."

"No, don't be." Her voice softened as she looked at him. "Sure, he's nice, kind, handsome, and athletic, but Rey is not the guy I want to fall in love with."

Athrun got thrilled after hearing that. His heart almost broke into pieces when Kira announced Cagalli's engagement to Rey. He still had a chance to win her heart after all.

The princess noticed that Athrun was staring intensely at her and because of that, she immediately blushed. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She lowered her head as she sank down on her seat.

Athrun blushed in an instant and turned away from her. "I... I'm sorry!"

Unexpectedly, she leaned her head on his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. Athrun's eyes widened in a second as his cheeks burned red. His heart skipped a beat and his whole body stiffened. He tried talking, but he can't find the right words to say. He was so shocked at this, yet he was happy. If he was dreaming, then he would never want to wake up again.

"Athrun?" Cagalli said in a soft voice. "Let's stay like this for a while. I just want somebody at my side for now."

"As you wish..." Athrun replied.

_Kira's Office_

"What?!" Miriallia shouted as she slammed Kira's desk with her two palms. She was surprised and angry at the brunette for agreeing with the engagement of Rey and Cagalli. "I won't accept it! I know Cagalli doesn't love that guy!"

"Calm down, Miriallia." Kira raised his hands in a form of surrender. "I disapproved of it as well that's why I'm going to talk with the chairman again."

"What if the chairman still insists on it?" Miriallia questioned.

"I'll make sure that he'll understand. I don't want to force Cagalli to marry someone she doesn't love. She only sees Rey as a childhood friend."

"I know that."

"I'm sure that guy doesn't want her to end up with Rey either."

Miriallia looked at him confusingly. "Who might that guy be?"

"This is just a guess, but I think he really likes Cagalli." Kira put on a smile on his face. "You know him very well, Miriallia."

"Don't tell me it's..."

Kira nodded his head.

Miriallia sighed. "He's so easy to figure out." She glanced at Kira with concern. "Don't be hard on him. I know how protective you are when it comes to Cagalli."

"I'll just give him a warning."

_Gilbert's Room_

The chairman of PLANT was busy scanning through reports about the present situation of his nation. He only stopped when he heard a knock coming from the door. "Come in..." he said.

The door opened and a blonde haired guy entered.

"Rey, I thought you'll never come. I called you about an hour ago," Gil said.

Rey looked at him seriously. "I was busy."

"Anyway, Representative Yamato and I have decided to engage you and Princess Cagalli."

"What?!" Rey gasped, but he managed to maintain his calm façade. "Are you serious?"

"I am serious. Princess Cagalli will be your future wife. Your marriage will bring happiness to both PLANT and ORB. It will be the best for our nations."

Rey couldn't be happier. He wanted to smile, but he didn't want to do that in front of the chairman. He turned to the door and walked out of the room. When he reached his own room, he locked the door behind him and leaned himself on it. There, he finally smiled. "Cagalli-san will be my wife?" he muttered. "This is probably the best thing Gil has ever done for me."

**To be continued...**

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JC: I'm totally going insane! Rey loves Cagalli here but Cagalli only treats him as a friend. Kira knows Athrun's secret crush on Cagalli! What will Kira do? Next chapter will be updated soon. For now please review and no flaming...


	8. Mixed Emotions

JC: Rey and Cagalli are just my cousin's dream couple. I know it's weird pairing them up. I'm sorry about that. I'm also adding Stellar here as well and she'll be paired up with Shinn, of course. Shinn and Stellar pairing is also the best for me. Well, let's go on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to the characters. I don't own them and I can never own them.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 08: Mixed Emotions

"What did you say? The princess is engaged?!" Kai yelled at Miriallia in a very loud voice. "That can't be! When did that happen? I don't want to believe it! You've gotta be joking, right?!"

Miriallia narrowed her eyes at the blue-eyed coordinator. "I'm serious." She would never joke around about important matters.

Kai scratched his head in frustration. "NO WAY!" he uttered. "Wait a sec… To whom is she engaged? Is it some rich guy? Is it someone I know?

"Rey Za Burrel," Miriallia replied with a frustrated sigh. Honestly, Kai was getting on her nerves, and she was doing her best to stay composed.

"What?!" Kai cried, slapping his own temple. "I don't stand a chance against that guy."

"Don't give up just yet," Miriallia told him.

"Huh?" Kai murmured, surprised by her words. "What are you trying to say?"

"Cagalli doesn't love him, so Kira will try to convince the chairman to cancel the engagement," she explained. "You can't be happy if you marry someone you don't even love, right?"

Kai smiled, held Miriallia's hands, and shook them rapidly. "Is that so? Why didn't you tell me in the first place? I believe Representative Yamato can do it."

"Um... yeah... Whatever..." Miriallia rolled her eyes away from Kai, thinking absurdly of his childish behavior.

_Shopping Mall _

Jean had the day off from military work and she was now currently in the mall, shopping for new clothes. "This looks nice," she said as she admired the dress in her hand. "I better try this on." She went to change in the dressing room.

When she put on the dress, she glanced herself in the mirror. "Wow!" giggled Jean, "this dress is great. I'm going to buy this." She changed back to her clothes and stepped out of the dressing room. As she went to pay at the counter, she spotted two familiar faces. "Nii-san? Princess Cagalli?" Jean murmured as she approached them.

Cagalli and Athrun turned their heads at Jean. They were both surprised, especially Athrun, to see the younger Zala. "What are you doing here?" Athrun asked.

"Shopping, of course," Jean replied. "Isn't that obvious, Nii-san?"

"You're actually shopping?" Athrun remarked, sarcasm present in his voice. "I thought you hated it."

"Well, people change, you know!" She glared at him. "Nii-san, how can you be so irritating every time?"

"Look who's talking..." Athrun plainly said, looking bored.

"What?!" Jean wailed, outraged by her brother's attitude. But she immediately calmed down when she saw Cagalli smiling at her. "It's nice to see you again."

"Same as usual, Jean... You two really can't get along."

"Well, we get along sometimes..." Jean told her as she fiddled with her fingers.

"That's good to hear. It's really nice to have a sibling," Cagalli said as she turned to Athrun, "right?"

He blushed at the sight of her face. "Um...yeah... I think…" he answered.

_Rey's Room_

"Shinn, you can have the day off," Rey told Shinn.

"You serious?" Shinn asked as he felt his lips curved into a smile.

Rey nodded his head.

"All right!" exclaimed Shinn. He turned to Rey and shook his hand. "Thanks, Rey."

"Just be back before 18:00," Rey added.

"Don't worry..." Shinn assured him and he immediately left the room.

Rey stood from his seat and went to the balcony. He stared up at the sky and imagined a certain blonde girl he admired so much. "Cagalli, I hope you love me too," he said particularly to no one. "And I hope you can forgive me after I kill him." He gritted his teeth as he thought of his mission. He was about to hit the wall when he heard a loud knock coming from the door. He approached it and opened it.

"Yo, how are you doing?!" a blonde haired guy with purple eyes greeted Rey.

"Dearka, what do you want?" Rey questioned, raising an elegant brow.

Dearka Elthman was also one of his bodyguards and good friends. Although he has a great sense of humor, he rarely makes Rey laugh. He went in without Rey's permission and hopped on Rey's bed. He glanced around the room and mumbled one soft, "Wow!"

"I'll ask you again," Rey said, looking pissed, "what do you want?"

Dearka scratched his head and stood up. "You gave Shinn a day off, so I was thinking..."

"No!" Rey cut him off. "Your day off is tomorrow."

"Please," Dearka begged. "I'll do anything."

"No, and that's my final answer!" Rey said calmly.

Dearka sighed in defeat. "Oh well, I thought I could meet her today," he mumbled loud enough for Rey to hear.

"Her?" Rey asked with curiosity. "Who's her?"

The bodyguard turned to Rey and plastered one big goofy smile on his face. "She's an ORB Military Soldier. I saw her the other day and I think I've fallen in love with her at first sight. She was so cute!" Dearka said as he blushed. "I finally found my dream girl!"

Rey slapped his forehead. He should have known that playboy Dearka had spotted another girl to be his prey. "Dream girl?" he murmured. "Are you really sure about that?" He began reminding Dearka about his past events with the girls back in PLANT.

"I know I've dated lots of women before, but they were not special to me. I think this girl is more to my liking. Like I said, she's the girl of my dreams!" He clasped his hands and sighed dreamily.

With Dearka acting strangely like that, Rey had another reason not to give him a day off. However, he sensed that Dearka was being serious with a girl for the first time. He grabbed Dearka's shoulder and looked straight at him in the eye. "Okay, you can have the day off."

"She's so beautiful! I want to date her... and..." He paused for a while before he realized what Rey said. "What did you say?! I can have the day off?!" he yelled.

"Just go before I change my mind."

"Thank you so much!" Dearka jumped for joy and hugged Rey so tightly.

"Dearka, I'm dying... Need... air..." Rey struggled to get out from his grasps. His lungs screamed for air as his voice became thin. "I'm dying..." he spoke.

"Ah!" yelled Dearka. "I'm so sorry." He released Rey and scratched the back of his head and apologized for his rude actions. "I got carried away back there." He laughed lightly to ease his nervousness, because Rey was giving him one serious glare. "I better go now." After that, he dashed out of the room like a roadrunner.

"I'm glad he's gone now." Rey sighed in relief. "What should I do for fun today?" he asked himself. "I know... I should visit Cagalli-san again."

_Bedroom _

Cagalli plopped down on her comfy bed and sighed in exhaustion. "Your sister is one heck of a shopper!" she exclaimed as she sat up from her position and looked at Athrun.

Athrun laughed out lightly as he took a seat, facing Cagalli. "She's always like that. You should see her when she's playing at the arcade..."

"Arcade?"

"She totally rules at games."

"I see... She's really energetic."

Athrun nodded his head in agreement. "Because she's so full of energy, she can be so violent sometimes." He laughed again.

Cagalli paused to stare at him, not knowing that her cheeks were turning red. She was getting nervous all of the sudden and her heart felt like it was going to burst. She took one deep breath and exhaled to calm herself down. It was no use because her heart beat kept getting louder and faster. She held her chest and her hand trembled. What was happening to her? She kept asking herself that. She shook her head, hoping it would relieve her, but still her heart kept going.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand touched her shoulder. She glanced at the hand for a while before turning to the owner. Her eyes met the emerald-green eyes that belonged to her bodyguard. In an instant, her face turned as red as a tomato. She was so embarrassed that she immediately buried her face in her hands.

"Cagalli?" Athrun murmured, wondering why she was acting weird. "What's the matter?"

"It... It's... no... Nothing... It's nothing." She glanced back at him, but this time her face was back to normal.

"Are you sure?" asked Athrun.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just tired that's all." She lay down in bed and covered herself with the blanket.

Athrun still looked at her with concern in his eyes.

Cagalli reached his hand and held it tenderly. This time Athrun blushed. "I'm going to sleep now," Cagalli told him. "You can go rest as well."

Athrun smiled at her. "Thank you and sweet dreams."

Cagalli smiled back at him and released his hand. She moved an inch to the side of her bed and closed her eyes. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Athrun knelt down and placed a quick peck on her temple. "Cagalli, I wish I could tell you how I feel, but I'm afraid..." he muttered softly. He turned and walked to the door. Before leaving the room he took one more look at the sleeping princess. "Maybe someday I would tell her..." After that, he stepped out of the room and slowly closed the door behind him.

Miriallia happened to pass by and saw Athrun leaving Cagalli's room. "Hey there, Athrun!" she greeted the blue-haired coordinator as she waved her hand at him.

"Have you come to visit Cagalli?" Athrun asked as he approached her.

Miriallia nodded her head. "She's in her room, right?"

"Yeah, but she's sleeping."

She sighed in disappointment. "That's too bad... Oh well, I should go visit Kira instead. I'll see you later, Athrun." She turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Athrun called as he grabbed Miriallia's arm. "Can we talk?"

"What is it?" she said, turning back at Athrun.

Athrun's heart felt uneasy again. He released Miriallia's arm and leaned his back against the wall. He took one deep breath before he started talking to her. "I want to tell Cagalli that I love her, but how?" His cheeks flushed up in an instant when he said that.

Miriallia laughed at his expression, because he looked so funny to her.

Athrun raised an eyebrow and demanded for an answer.

She apologized to him for laughing like that, because she couldn't help it. It was really her first time to see Athrun blushing.

"Miriallia, I'm being serious here." Athrun narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, okay..." Miriallia immediately changed her expression into a more solemn one. "If you love Cagalli, then tell her. Nobody is stopping you, Athrun."

"But I'm afraid of her answer. What if she rejects me? I don't think she'll treat me as a friend after that."

"You'll just have to accept it."

"Miriallia, you're not helping!"

"There's no need to raise your voice, Athrun, because I'm standing right next to you."

"I... I'm sorry about that."

"I know you're pretty tense right now and I understand that." She looked straight in his eyes. "Athrun, you can't hide your feelings forever. You have to let it out. Just tell her that you love her."

"Is it really all right for me to confess?"

"If you're thinking Cagalli is in love with Rey, then you're seriously wrong. She's also not in love with some guy out there."

"I know that!" Athrun wailed. "She has no interest in guys and that's my problem."

"Athrun..." Miriallia's eyes grew soft.

"I love Cagalli so much." He was really serious about his feelings for the princess.

Rey was walking towards Cagalli's room but stopped when he saw Athrun and Miriallia talking. He quickly hid himself from their sight and decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I love Cagalli so much." Rey heard Athrun saying, which really surprised him. "That bodyguard is in love with Cagalli-san?" he murmured. "I can't believe this." He gritted his teeth as he glared down at the floor.

"I'll stay quiet for now, but someday I'll tell her if the time is right," Athrun told Miriallia, as she smiled at him.

"Don't worry about her answer, ok?" she reminded, as Athrun nodded his head. Then the two of them walked away.

When they were gone, Rey stepped out and went to Cagalli's door. He stared at it for a moment while thinking of what Athrun said earlier. "I'm not going to let Zala have her. I swear on it."

He knocked on the door and waited for Cagalli to answer it. But after waiting for two minutes, nobody came to open the door. "Cagalli-san must be sleeping. I'll talk to her later."

Just then, Rey heard a familiar voice calling out his name. He glanced at the person, who happened to be Kira Yamato. "Representative, I've come to visit your sister, but it seems that she's unavailable right now."

"Cagalli's sleeping, right?" Kira said as he approached the blonde.

"That seems to be the case."

Kira's face turned serious as he remembered his promise to Cagalli. He was going to tell Rey to cut off the engagement. However, the Chairman appeared behind him, ruining his perfect chance.

"Oh, it's you chairman..." Kira smiled awkwardly.

"Representative, we have a meeting," the chairman told him. "Why are you still here?" He then noticed Rey standing beside Kira, and his eyes immediately narrowed.

Kira glanced at Rey for a moment before turning back to the chairman. "Actually, I just went to get something from room."

The chairman looked back at Kira. "I see, then we better hurry or we're going to be late."

"I agree," replied Kira and started walking away.

"Rey, you will perform your mission soon." Gil lowered his voice, so Kira would not hear.

"I know. You... don't have to remind me..."

"Just make sure you do it or else." Gil then reminded him of the consequences if he fails the mission.

**To be continued...**

* * *

JC: I'm full of ideas and inspiration, and I don't know why! Ha-ha! Excuse me for being insane!! What are Rey and Gil talking about? What will Rey do? Things are going to get more serious from this point, everyone. Find out in the next chapter! Please Review and no flaming!


	9. Betrayal

JC: Well, I managed to edit this during my free time. I seriously need to watch out for errors. I just hate proofreading, because I'm so darn lazy. I hope this is much better now. Please R&R, understand?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 09: Betrayal

Cagalli was getting ready for a dinner date with Rey. She really didn't want to date him, but Rey insisted on it. "I can't believe I'm going on that date! I should've said no!" she yelled in her room. She opened the closet and sighed when she saw the pile of dresses. It was a formal date so she had to wear something nice and lady-like. "I really hate dresses. Why should there be dresses in the first place?"

She crossed her arms as she looked for the right dress to wear. Since her favorite color was green, she decided to wear a green gown that was given to her by her father on her birthday. She slipped it on and it fitted her perfectly. "This dress isn't so bad. I don't want to believe that father actually picked this one for me."

She faced the mirror and smiled at her figure. "I look good for some reason," she murmured. "Now should I tie my hair or not?"

A loud knock came from her door, drawing her attention to it. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me, Athrun," a voice from the outside answered.

"Come in, Athrun."

Athrun entered the room and closed the door behind him. When he saw Cagalli, he just froze in silence, because he was so amazed to see how beautiful she looked wearing the gown.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Cagalli asked as she blushed madly.

Athrun snapped back to reality and let out a small laugh. "I'm sorry about that."

"You were staring at me weirdly."

"It's just because you look very beautiful. I was so surprised to see in that gown."

"I look beautiful? Well, for me, I look really weird."

Athrun shook his head. "Nonsense..."

She sighed. "I'm sure Rey will say the same thing."

"Rey?" Athrun murmured.

"I'm going on a date with him."

Athrun's eyes grew wide. "So, does this mean that you've accepted him as your fiancé?" he asked, feeling jealous.

"No!"

Athrun stared at her in surprise. "What are you saying?"

"Actually, I'm planning to talk to him about our engagement. I'm sure Rey will understand my feelings."

"Does Rey treat you only as a friend too?"

"Rey and I are good friends. I'm sure he only sees me as a friend too. There's no way he would fall for a girl like me."

"From my point of view, I think he really likes you more than a friend."

"I hope you're wrong Athrun, because I don't want him as a fiancé."

_Beach_

Shinn sat on the warm sand, staring at the clear blue water and the seagulls flying above it. The wind blowing through his hair was calm and refreshing. His eyes wandered around the place and came across a blonde girl dancing around. At first, he thought it was Cagalli, because of the hair color, but he realized that it was a different person. "I wonder who she is," he muttered.

The girl kept twirling around until she tripped and fell on her butt. Because of that, Shinn immediately rushed towards her. He knelt down to her level and asked, "Are you all right, Miss?"

The girl glanced at Shinn and smiled. "I'm all right. I just tripped that's all. Thank you for worrying about me."

"Um... yeah..."

She pulled away from him and twirled around before turning back at Shinn. "Have you come here to watch the ocean?" she asked.

Shinn shook his head. "I just came here to relax."

"I see," she said. "Well, as for me, I came here because I like the sea very much!"

"You like the sea? Why?"

"It's because it reminds me of the happy memories I shared with my parents."

Shinn frowned after hearing the word 'parents'. His past memories with his parents and younger sister flashed through his mind almost instantly. He shut his eyes closed at the memories and clenched his fists.

"Hey! Are you all right?"

Shinn snapped back to reality and turned to the girl with a false smile. "Yah, I'm all right," he replied.

"Are you sure? You seemed a little sad a while ago. Did I say something bad to offend you?"

He shook his head. "No, you didn't."

She sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves yet."

"You're right."

"My name is Stellar Loussier. What's yours?"

"I'm Shinn, Shinn Asuka."

"What a nice name..."

Shinn blushed and turned his head away from her. "Um... thanks... Your name is... nice too." He was talking in a stuttering voice, much to his dismay.

"Thank you very much," she replied cheerfully. "Hey Shinn, can we be friends? Well... um... if that's okay with you..."

Shinn smiled and nodded his head. "Of course, um... Lou..." he said before he got cut off by Stellar. "You can call me Stellar," she told him.

"Is it really okay?" asked Shinn.

"It's okay."

"Then you can call me Shinn."

"That's good to hear since Asuka-kun sounds weird to me, no offense there, Shinn."

"I'm good," Shinn said.

"So let's get to know each other... I'll start by telling you my hobbies..."

"Okay."

_Restaurant _

Rey and Cagalli were at a restaurant near the beach. The food had already arrived so they started eating peacefully. After the meal, Rey told something to Cagalli, which surprised her greatly.

"What did you say?" Cagalli's golden-brown eyes were as wide as marbles.

"I love you..." Rey said, his voice serious and soft.

"Wait... a sec... Do you mean to tell me you love me as in 'love' not 'like'?" she questioned as her hands trembled under the table.

Rey nodded his head. "I have always loved you since childhood."

Cagalli blushed furiously at what he said. She lowered her head and stared at the floor. "No, that can't be."

"Cagalli-san, do you love me too?" he asked.

She faced him seriously. Her hands trembled in fear of Rey's reaction to her reply. She really didn't want to hurt Rey, but she had to tell him what she really felt about him.

"Cagalli-san?" murmured Rey, growing worried.

"Rey, I..." she started. "I'm sorry, but I only see you as a friend and nothing more."

At that moment, Rey froze in silence.

"I'm really sorry!" Cagalli said as tears poured out of her eyes.

Rey slowly stood up and looked at her. "I... I understand..." He wanted to cry, but not in front of her. He quickly ran out of the restaurant and went to his car. When he got in, he started crying as he leaned on the steering wheel.

"I thought she loved me... but I'm only a friend to her. I'm only her best friend and that's it!"

Cagalli really didn't expect Rey to love her. It was all too sudden. She felt bad for hurting his feelings. She wanted to follow him, to comfort him in any way, but her heart told her to leave him alone to think. "I hope Rey's fine..." she murmured as she thought about her blonde friend. "I hope he could still be my friend after this."

_Next day, Gil's room_

"I'm going to do it tonight," Rey said as he stood before the chairman. He had a serious expression on his face that even intimidated Gil a bit.

"I thought you were going to wait for my orders," Gil said.

"I'm going to kill him as soon as possible!" Rey uttered as he clenched his fists.

"What's wrong with you, Rey?" Gil asked, pretending to be concerned for his nephew. "Did anything happen to make you this restless?

"Nothing is wrong with me!"

"Then if you're planning to do it tonight, be my guest. Just don't fail me, Rey..."

"Don't worry, I won't, I swear on it."

After that, he stepped out the room and slammed the door behind him.

_Garden_

Athrun and Cagalli were having breakfast in the garden, and the bodyguard found it to be awkward having breakfast with the princess. He was bothered because of the fact that he was only a bodyguard. Normally, someone like him should not be even dining together with the princess. But Cagalli told him that it was okay since they were friends.

Suddenly, Tori came and landed on the table. Cagalli greeted the little mechanical bird and it started jumping around. She patted its head as she giggled. "He's really cute, right, Athrun?"

"You're right."

Cagalli noticed a piece of paper tied to Tori's leg. She took it and opened it. There was a message written on it that says, "Cagalli, meet me at headquarters at 1400 hrs." As Cagalli read the bottom part, she realized that it was from Miriallia. "I wonder what Miriallia wants," she said.

"No idea..." Athrun replied. "By the way, how was your date with Rey?"

Cagalli frowned. "Not so good... We ended up crying..." she said.

"What happened?"

She took one deep breath before she spoke. "Rey told me that he loves me..."

"I knew it. From the way he looks at you, I can tell that he really admires you."

"And I'm blind enough to even notice that. He's my best friend for crying out loud! I'm supposed to know him best!" She raised her voice.

"Cagalli... please don't feel that way..." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I feel so bad for rejecting his feelings. I really feel so bad!" She suddenly hugged Athrun and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Athrun wrapped his arms around her waist and gently rubbed her back to comfort her. "Cagalli, it's not your fault, understand? Why don't you try talking to him again?"

Cagalli slowly pulled herself away from him and looked straight at his emerald eyes. "I want to talk to him, but what if he avoids me?"

"Then be persistent."

"You're right... I have to settle things with him. He is still my best friend..."

_Cliffside _

After a long day's work, Kira went to the beach by the Cliffside. He stared at the wide blue sea, thinking of his only sister. "I should have brought Cagalli along with me," he murmured. He sighed as he stretched his arms.

"Kira-sama..." a voice called his name.

Kira turned around and saw Rey. He smiled at his good friend and approached him. But he stopped when Rey pointed a gun at him. "Rey, what's the meaning of this?" he asked, staring cautiously at the gun. "What are you planning to do?"

Rey stayed silent as his eyes focused at him.

"Rey!" exclaimed Kira, "answer me!"

Rey smirked. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to kill you, Kira-sama."

Kira's eyes widened in surprise and in confusion for he couldn't believe what Rey had just said. He took a few steps back until he was at the edge of the cliff. He realized that he had no way out but to fall into the deep blue water.

"Don't even think about jumping," Rey told him.

Kira narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "I can't believe you're doing this. I've always thought that you're my friend."

"I'm not the Rey you knew before. I'm different now, Kira-sama."

"I want to know your reason for doing this."

"I'm just an assassin. Don't ask me that."

"Assassin?" Kira murmured. "Then who's the mastermind behind you?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that."

"If you kill me, are you going after Cagalli next?"

"No, I can never kill the girl I love. She will be my wife in the future."

"Cagalli doesn't love you! In fact, I'm planning to cancel your engagement."

"That's one of my reasons for killing you..."

"Rey!" Kira yelled as he charged at him.

Rey immediately pulled the trigger and shot Kira in the chest. Blood spilled out as his body fell off the cliff. He raised his hand as if trying to reach for something in the air. At that time, Cagalli's image flashed in his mind. Before he fell into the water, he muttered her name and finally his vision blackened.

Rey dropped his gun and fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around himself and trembled in fear. He stared at the ground, wide-eyes as ever, as tears filled his clear blue eyes. _I wished this was all a dream. I've killed a dear friend, an irreplaceable friend. I'm so pathetic…_

**To be continued...**

* * *

JC: End of chapter 9, at last. Finally, I'm done with this. I know there were OOC moments, especially with Rey, but please just bear with me. Don't worry about Kira, okay? I'm not going to kill him off. Please let me know what you think through your reviews and don't give me flames.


	10. Tears

JC: I'd like to thank the following for reviewing my fic. You're all very wonderful. I'm more inspired than before. Thanks so much! Love ya all!

kagar zara, Eternally Asuka, jenniferseedlover, The Angel's Princess, ZGMF X-19A Infinite, Justice, Kristin, MXC - the show- rocks my socks, animeluver461, asga, koali alolao, anime-rocks05

Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 10: Tears

The moon in the sky, shinning so brightly, was illuminating its essence throughout the place. She sat by the window, admiring its beauty, as she hummed a song, a song her mother once sang to her when she was very young. The song entitled Precious Rose. Enjoyed and relaxed as she was, a disturbance came, an eerie feeling, which made her anxious. "Why does my heart feel so heavy all of a sudden?" she asked in her mind, while holding her chest, feeling her heart beat going faster every minute.

A creaking sound from the door was heard. As the door opened slowly, Athrun revealed his presence and stepped into the room. He looked a bit a pale, tired, and nervous. With his eyes locked onto hers, he approached her slowly. He took one deep breath before speaking, but his words came out in murmurs.

"Um... What did you say, Athrun?"

Athrun cleared his voice. He paused to think if he was going to do the right thing. He knew that the dreadful news will devastate the princess. He hesitated to tell her, but she had the right to know. "Cagalli... I hate... to say this..." He first spoke in a stuttering voice. "Cagalli, your brother is dead."

Not a word was spoken, as the room filled with silence. She stood there, looking at her bodyguard, with doubtful eyes. She didn't believe him. She let out a small giggle. "You must be joking, right? Kira's not dead. That's a bad joke, Athrun."

Athrun lowered his head as his bangs covered his eyes. He gritted his teeth and told her again, "Kira Yamato is dead. It's been confirmed by headquarters."

Cagalli shook her head. "No, you're lying! He can't be dead! This is some kind of big joke, right? There's no way Kira..." Tears streamed down on her smooth cheeks.

"HQ had already sent out search parties to find him, but he's nowhere in ORB. A witness came in a while ago, bringing with him a picture of Kira being shot by an unknown guy, probably an assassin. In the picture, it was clearly the representative, taking the shot and falling off the cliff," Athrun explained all the necessary details to her.

"But who killed him?!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. The photo didn't show the suspect much."

At that, Cagalli dropped to her knees and cried heartily. Athrun knelt down to her level and touched her shoulder, giving her his sincerest sympathy. Suddenly, Cagalli buried her face in his chest and kept on crying, letting her pain out. Athrun willingly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to keep her warm and to comfort her. "Cagalli... I'm still here with you..." he gently whispered into her ear.

_HQ_

Lying on her bed was the young Jean Zala, who was thinking about Kira after hearing the tragic news on television. She was worried about Cagalli, knowing how much Kira meant to her, being her brother and all. She could imagine the pain and suffering she was going through. She wanted to see her and to help her in any way. "I hope Nii-san is taking good care of her. Cagalli needs him more than ever now."

Barging into her room was Miriallia Hawe, shedding tears. She had also heard the news and she couldn't hold back the tears. She went to Jean and cried on her lap. She cried out Kira's name, while memories of him flashed through her mind. "I don't want to believe it. Kira... Kira... you can't be dead. You just can't!" she wailed, shaking her head rapidly.

Jean couldn't bear to see her comrade and friend like this. Leaning forward, she hugged Miriallia and whispered to her that everything was going to be fine. Even so, Miriallia cried so hard. Jean understood her feelings, for losing a friend means losing a part of your life. "Miriallia, don't worry... I'm still here for you."

_Hangar_

Kai was loafing around beside an Astray Mobile Suit. He had also heard the news, which made him worried about Cagalli. He knew that Cagalli's most important person was her brother. With his arms crossed and eyes fixed on the floor, he wondered who could have killed the representative. The death of Kira Yamato was all too sudden. Whoever killed him, Kai vowed to make him pay.

A voice called out to him all of a sudden, making him trip over some wires on the floor. As he rose up, he saw it was Jean. "Don't startle me like that!" he scolded with his fist clenched.

The red-head girl giggled. "I'm sorry about that." She then turned serious. "You heard the news, right? Representative Yamato is..."

"Dead," he continued. "I know. Princess Cagalli must be crying as we speak."

"Why don't you go and pay her a visit in her mansion and cheer her up? Your jokes can make anybody laugh, even her," Jean suggested.

He found it to be a great idea. "But now's not the right time to do that. We should leave her to think for a while," he said solemnly.

"I can see you really care for her," Jean responded with a rather depressed face, while looking at Kai.

_Rey's room_

In the dark corner of his room, Rey was seated on the floor, looking at his right hand where he held the gun. He shook at the thought of the time he killed his friend. He wanted to cry, when he remembered his face, his reaction as he found out about him. "I'm sorry Kira... I really am. I had no other choice."

Suddenly, the lights flashed opened, revealing the chairman standing at the doorway with a wide smirk plastered on his face. Apparently, he was pleased for what Rey did and even complimented him, which disgusted Rey. "Leave me alone, Gil! I don't want to see you!" Rey blurted out without a care.

Disrespectful that was, Gil didn't get angry. He just patted Rey on the shoulder. "You really did a good job."

"You say killing your own friend is a good job?! You're really insane!"

"But with the representative out of the way, Cagalli will be yours. No one is here to cancel or break you engagement with her."

"I'm very aware of that, but she clearly told me that she's doesn't love me. What's the point of marrying her if her heart will never be mine?!"

"At least, she'll be yours to keep."

"Damn you, Gil!" he yelled out before barging out the room, leaving a trail of his tears.

Gil leaned on the wall and laughed maniacally. "You're such a fool, Rey."

**To be continued...**

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JC: This was a very sad chapter. Everyone was so depressed. Miriallia and Cagalli were crying, and the Zala siblings were there to comfort them. That was so sweet. The chairman is just plain evil. I just had to end it here. Don't you just love cliffhangers? I must save some for the next chapter. Please review and no flames. It was pretty sad, huh?


	11. Recollections

JC: The previous chapter was so sad. I felt bad for writing it. Imagining Cagalli-sama sad makes me sad too. Wah! Sorry for the childish moment here. I've been acting weird these days and I don't know why. Just go on and read the story...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 11: Recollections

Cagalli rested lifelessly on her bed as she stared blankly at the ceiling with tear stained eyes. She had cried endlessly and thought of nothing but her brother. _I'm your brother... _she thought, remembering the sound of his voice and recalling the times he was with her. She turned over to her side and buried her face in her pillow. _I love you, Cagalli... _Those words flashed through her head, bringing more pain in her heart and tears to her golden-brown eyes. "Kira..." she uttered his name in a low and frail voice. "Why does it have to be you?"

**Flashback**

_"Cagalli, I want you to meet your twin brother," said a middle-aged man with a deep voice. "His name is Kira, Kira Yamato." The man held a little 10-year old boy with short brown hair and purple eyes. _

_The little blonde princess smiled at the boy. "Hello there, Kira!" she said. "I'm Cagalli, nice to meet you." _

_Kira was a little shy so he hid himself behind the man. _

_"Come out of there..." She pulled Kira out by grabbing his shirt. "Are you afraid of me?" she asked him. _

_Kira quietly shook his head. _

_"Look, I'm your sister and you're my brother. Since we're going to be together from now on, we should get to know each other." _

_"Um... yeah..." he replied meekly._

_Cagalli sighed in frustration. She was annoyed by his shyness, but that didn't stop her from being friendly with him. "Why don't we go out and play?" she asked him, making a puppy dog face at the same time. _

_Kira found that face to be really cute, so he couldn't refuse her offer. "Sure, let's play..." he said._

_"Yay!!" she exclaimed happily. _

**Flashback Ended**

Her memories from the first time they met brought a temporary smile on her face. She got up from bed and walked to the window. She glanced at the sky with dull and emotionless eyes. She had stopped crying tears, but her heart was still suffering.

A creaking sound came from the door as it slowly opened, letting a bit of light to enter the room. Athrun peeped in to check on Cagalli. He had expected her to be in bed, but instead he saw her standing weakly by the window. He approached her and as soon he reached for her shoulders, she suddenly dropped to her knees and wept. At that moment, when he saw Cagalli's tears, he also felt like crying. He knelt down to her level and hugged her warmly. "It's all right, Cagalli," Athrun whispered into her ear. "I'm here for you."

After that, she paused briefly as his words echoed in her mind. First, she heard Athrun's voice being played back, but soon she started hearing Kira's voice, telling her the same thing.

_It's all right, Cagalli. I'm here for you. _

**Flashback**

_Cagalli, who was already 15, was crying in front of her father's grave while holding a bouquet of white roses in her hand. "Why did you leave me, father?" she asked, hoping he would answer. She knelt down and placed the flowers down. _

_A hand touched her shoulder, making her turn to the owner, who was none other than her brother. He had a smile on his face and kind-looking eyes, making Cagalli feel assured and calm inside. "It's all right, Cagalli," he told her. "I'm here for you." _

_"Thank you Kira... On the day father died, I was devastated. But you stood by my side and comforted me. Thank you very much, brother." Her eyes softened as her hands trembled._

_"That's because I care for you." _

_"Kira, please don't ever leave me," she said, her eyes almost pleading. Kira was her only family now. "Promise me, okay?" _

_"I won't." Kira tilted her chin and looked at her sincerely. "I promise, so don't worry about a thing." He made a promise to her that day—a promise to never leave her alone. _

**Flashback Ended**

"He promised he would never leave me but... now... he's gone..." Cagalli muttered in a shaky voice as she grasped onto Athrun's shirt.

"Cagalli, it wasn't Rep... It wasn't Kira's fault. Somebody killed him..." Athrun said.

"I know... but..."

Athrun gently pushed her away from him to face her. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb. He could feel a burning sensation inside as he touched her face. A smile appeared on his face, telling Cagalli to smile as well. But Cagalli was incapable of smiling, because sadness had overwhelmed her.

"Athrun... I don't know if I could go on without Kira," she said.

"Please don't say that," Athrun responded.

"The greatest battle ever is too keep living, but I don't know if I still have the strength to live."

"Cagalli..." Athrun frowned and wrapped his arms around her. No words could comfort Cagalli at the moment. The pain of losing someone was just too unbearable. Athrun knew that he should never leave her alone.

_Miriallia's Room_

Miriallia Hawe was in the sanctity of her room, crying for her friend, the one she cared the most. She was settled in her chair, facing the computer. On the screen were images of Kira and her together during their childhood days. She glanced through all the photos as she recalled the good times with Kira. Her childhood days were filled with fun and excitement just because of him.

_Can we be friends? _

**Flashback**

_A young 5-year old girl, Miriallia, was being bullied by kids older than her at the park. Of course, trying to be brave and stubborn, Miriallia defended herself from them, but she was too weak and fragile to beat them. One of the kids pushed her down and threw sand at her face, thus blinding her a while. "I can't see... I can't see... I'm going to get you guys for this!" she exclaimed, rubbing her eyes. _

_When the kids were about to kick her, a boy appeared in front of her and got hit instead. Miriallia opened her eyes and saw her hero on the ground. _

_"Ah! Are you all right?" she asked._

_The boy quickly stood up and answered, "I'm all right." He glared back at the bullies, who got intimidated by him. And all of a sudden, they all ran away. _

_Miriallia got surprised at this. "Wow! You scared them! That's so cool!" she yelled. She stood and hugged the boy tightly until he turned purple like his eyes. _

_"Um... I... ca... Can't breath." _

_Hearing that, Miriallia released him immediately and apologized for her actions. The boy just smiled back and told her it was okay. "But I'm really impressed with you. Those kids always pick on me and I can't seem to beat them and you just... wow!" _

_"It was nothing really. By the way, I'm Kira... What's your name?" _

_"I'm Miriallia, but you can call me Milly, ok?" _

_"Okay Milly-chan... Can we be friends?"_

_"Sure, why not!" _

_Miriallia raised her fist up high. She then turned to the boy and extended her hand to shake. Kira glanced at her hand first before he shook hands with her. He let out a silent gasp when he felt her hand. Her hand was so warm. He looked up at her and noticed how cute she was. "Kawaii!" he blurted out. _

_"What did you say?" she asked, looking puzzled. _

_"You're so cute." _

_Apparently, Miriallia thought of it as a compliment, so she just thanked him. _

_"Milly-chan, we're friends now, right?" Kira placed a finger over his lips, looking at her with an adorable face. _

_"Of course we are!" she replied, making a thumbs-up at the same time. _

_"Then let's go and play together!" _

_Milly replied, "Okay!" _

_They walked hand-in-hand to the slides. When Milly went up the slide, she stopped to see the whole playground. She raised her hands and waved them high. As the wind blew, she closed her eyes to feel the cool breeze blowing through her face. After a while, Kira called her attention and told her to hurry up since he wanted to slide as well. She opened her eyes and turned to her friend with a silly smile as she scratched the back of her head. "I'm sorry... I'm going to slide now," she said. With one push, she slid down the slide._

_Kira immediately went up. Before he slid down, he waved his hand at Milly, who was watching him from the ground. "Milly-chan, I want you to be my best friend, because you're fun!" Kira said. _

_"I'm fun..." murmured Milly as she blushed. "I'm fun, huh?" She waved her hand back at him and said, "Okay! We'll be best friends forever!"_

**Flashback Ended**

"Kira, my most important friend, is gone," Miriallia murmured, wrapping her arms around her as she trembled miserably.

_Mansion_

As soon as Kai arrived at the mansion, he went inside and asked the butler if he could see Cagalli. However, the old man answered, "I'm sorry sir... I cannot let you see the princess, because she's very depressed at the moment."

The brown-haired coordinator had no intention of going home right away without even seeing Cagalli. After all, that was his purpose of visiting the mansion in the first place. So he insisted the butler to take him to Cagalli. Again, the butler refused since he thought of her current state. "If you're not going to let me through, I'll just have to use force on you," Kai warned with serious eyes.

The butler shook his head, continuing saying no to the coordinator.

"Oh, come on... let me see her."

"What's going on here?" a deep male voice broke into their argument.

Both Kai and the butler turned to the guy, who happened to be Athrun. The butler bowed his head at him. "Lt. Zala, this soldier wanted to see Princess Cagalli, but I didn't let him because of the state she is in right now," the butler explained properly.

Athrun, very well, understood his concerns. He looked at Kai and promptly greeted him with a grin. "Hey there, Kazuya... It's been a while." His voice sounded a little cranky.

Kai shot him a glare. "Where's Princess Cagalli?" he asked.

"She's in her room, sleeping," Athrun answered.

"What?!" yelled Kai in surprise. "She's sleeping..." He lowered his head as he deeply sighed in disappointment.

"Don't tell me you came here to cheer her up with your corny jokes?" Athrun blurted out as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Kai got pissed at him. "My jokes are not corny!" Feeling annoyed, he rolled his eyes away from the bodyguard. After a few seconds of silence, he placed his hand on his head and looked down on the floor with sad eyes. "And yeah, I came here to cheer her up."

Athrun wasn't the least bit surprised at this, because he knew Kai admired Cagalli very much. Kai was one of his rivals to her heart. Even though Kai was annoying, he was very kind and friendly. His outgoing personality was something Athrun didn't have, and most of the time, he felt jealous of Kai. Other than that, he still respected Kai as his faithful comrade and a good friend. Now, he was seeing a different side of Kai. He understood how he felt, because he also felt the same way. "I'll let you see her when she wakes up," Athrun told him.

Kai smiled after that. "That's great! Thanks man!"

"I'm only letting you see her so you can stop bugging the butler."

"Say what you want, Zala! As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I'm here is because of your sister, Jean."

"And why is that?"

"She asked me to come here to make the princess smile again. As you know, I can make people laugh."

"Or cry..."

"What did you say, Zala?!" Kai groaned as he showed a fist at Athrun.

Athrun was not at all intimidated by this. Instead, he just laughed at Kai. "I was just kidding, Kazuya. Honestly, do you really think you can cheer Cagalli up?"

Kai nodded his head with complete assurance. "Well... I can't be too sure about that, but I will try my best for the princess."

_Beach_

In a beach house near the Onogoro Coastline, a woman with brown hair and auburn eyes watched the sea from the terrace. She took one deep breath and smiled as she felt the sea breeze. It was refreshing. She felt like a free bird flying in a clear blue sky. It was heavenly. "I wish it was always this peaceful," she said to herself.

After a while, she went to her bedroom where a young boy was sleeping soundly in bed. She stared at him, wondering what to do with him. "Hmm... I better just call HQ and inform them..." Before she finished her sentence, she heard the boy mumbling something in his sleep. He appeared to be struggling as well. He was starting to sweat a lot as he screamed the name 'Rey'. "What's happening to him?"

In an instant, the boy's eyes jarred wide open as he sat up on the bed. He clutched onto the sheets as he breathed heavily. He felt his temple and sighed in relief. "It was only a dream," he said. He took his time to look around the room before asking, "Where am I?"

"I'm glad you're finally awake," the woman spoke as she revealed herself.

"Aren't you Captain Murrue Ramius of the Archangel Ship?" he asked with eyes wide in surprise.

The woman nodded. "That's right..." She positioned herself in front of him and saluted. "It's good to see you're safe and sound, Representative Kira Yamato."

**To be continued...**

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JC: I'm sorry to disappoint those who have guessed Lacus. It was Murrue Ramius. You must think Kira has no pairing here. Please be patient with that. Until then, please review and no flaming.


	12. Discovery

JC: I'm getting so busy these days. College life isn't really a walk in a park. It's more like hell to me. Man, I hate it! I have to study and study, but I can still find some time to write stories. So for all the reviewers, I apologize for updating late and thank you for your reviews. I really appreciate them!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 12: Discovery

They stepped into her room and found her sitting on the floor, trembling miserably. Her eyes were dull and stained with tears from weeping in pain and sadness.

For Kai, seeing the princess like that was excruciating. He has always seen her with a smile and a strong front. But now, he was seeing a different one, a different expression in which he found striking. "Princess Cagalli..." he murmured her name. "What should I do?"

"I thought you said you're going to cheer her up," Athrun said in a harsh tone. He walked over to Cagalli and patted her shoulder. "Kai is here to see you, Cagalli."

She raised her head and faced Athrun emotionlessly. "Huh? Kai?" she spoke softly. "What does he want?"

"He came here to see you, because he's worried about you."

"Is that so?" She slowly stood up with Athrun's help and turned her attention to Kai, still with depressed eyes. "Hey... there... Kai..."

"Princess... I... I..."

"Kai, if you don't have anything to say then don't say anything at all!" Cagalli suddenly blurted out. She was in no mood for anyone or anything. She just wanted to be alone to cry until the pain disappears.

"I'm sorry... It's just that... I came here to cheer you up."

"No one can cheer me up right now," she replied in a cold tone.

"I know you're sad about your brother, but how can we be sure that he's really dead?"

At this point, Athrun butted in. "Kai, stop saying those things!"

Yet, Kai didn't listen to Athrun and instead, he continued on. "Sure, there is a photograph to prove it, but that's not enough!"

"In that photograph, you can clearly see the Representative being shot with a gun and then falling into the sea. Nobody could've survived that fall and you do know HQ has already sent out search parties. Until now, they haven't found him."

"That's exactly my point! Since they haven't found the body, there's still a possibility that he's still alive."

"What if the killer took away his body?"

"Let me emphasize on the word IF. We're not even sure about that matter."

"Kai, you're sure are confident about your opinions there."

"Representative Yamato might still be alive and well as we speak." Kai approached Cagalli and placed both hands on her petite shoulders. He looked straight into her eyes with a smile. "Princess, do you really feel that your brother is dead?" he asked her.

Cagalli rolled her eyes away from him and brushed his hands away. "I don't know... I can't tell!" she shrieked as she rapidly shook her head. "Kira's gone and he's never coming back!"

"Princess, please calm down and listen to me. You have to clear your mind and heart. It's the only way you will be able to feel your brother."

Athrun placed a hand on her shoulder, making her turn back at him. He looked at her seriously, telling her to do what Kai was saying. And without any questions, she nodded her head. "I'll try..." She faced Kai again and sighed. "I hope you're right, Kai."

"There's no harm in trying," Kai said.

_Military HQ_

Jean was rushing towards the clinic, because she was already late for her shift. She knew she was going to be in big trouble again with her superior. She almost reached the said place when she saw Rey passed by. She noticed that he was looking a bit stiff and restless. Curiosity got the best of her, so she decided to check him out. "It's time for me to spy." She followed him into a lounge where he sat down on a couch to rest. She quickly hid herself behind a plant that was big enough to cover her from sight. She moved some of the leaves to get a clear view of Rey. "So he's the fiancé of Cagalli-san... That Rey guy is pretty cute..." she said without knowing that she was blushing.

After a while, another guy entered the lounge. Jean almost screeched when she realized the person was Gilbert Dullindal. "I'm going to be in big trouble if I'm caught." She shivered at the mere thought of it. "I have to stay quiet."

"Now that Representative Yamato is gone, ORB will be mine," Gil said.

Jean was alarmed by this. "ORB will be his... What does he mean by that?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And it's all thanks to you, Rey..." the chairman continued.

It was getting interesting and frightening at the same time for Jean, but she wanted to hear more. She listened closely to the chairman's words, which led to the case of Kira's assassination.

"I killed Kira-sama, because I want to make Cagalli-san mine," Rey blurted out, glaring at the dark-haired man. "I didn't do it for you, Gil."

Jean clenched her fists hard after hearing that. "I can't believe Rey killed Kira-sama..." Her heart began whirling in rage. She wanted to go over to Rey and give him a piece of her mind. But she can't act recklessly. Still, she knew she had to tell this to Cagalli and to her older brother. She was about to sneak out when...

"Although I'm not so sure you really killed him..." Gil said.

"What do you mean?" asked Rey.

"His body wasn't found. There is still a possibility..."

"He is dead! The strong current must've washed his body away!"

"Hmmm... You've got a point there..."

Rey stood up and walked towards the door. Before taking his leave, he told Gil, "Leave me alone for now, Gil!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Rey," Gil muttered, grinning with pleasure.

As the chairman left the room, Jean came out of hiding. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and contacted Athrun. When Athrun answered the phone, she immediately informed him to meet her at the Cliffside.

"Have you found something about the representative?" asked Athrun.

"Yeah, I have. Please be there, ASAP!" she demanded.

From the sound of her voice, Athrun could tell that his sister was pretty anxious and serious.

_Beach House_

It had been two days since Kira resided in the home of the infamous Captain of the Archangel Ship. He was starting to like living there, because it was very peaceful. He was seated on a chair near an open window as he watched the sea. It brought him happiness and serenity. "I wonder how ORB is doing without me..." he said as his thoughts shifted to his country. He wanted to go back home, but with his weak condition he couldn't. He touched his chest that was wrapped in bandages. The bullet nearly missed his heart and that was the reason why he survived. "I almost got killed. Why did Rey..." He believed Rey was only forced to do it. From what he had observed, Rey seemed afraid when he pulled the trigger. He wondered if Rey was only forced to kill him.

The door slowly creaked opened as Murrue Ramius walked in, bringing a tray of snacks and tea with her. "Kira-sama, let's have some snacks," she said.

"Please don't call me that," he said with a sigh. "There's no need for formalities here."

"I'll just call you Kira-kun, is that okay?"

"That's much better to hear."

"Tell me something, have you decided to go back to the parliament house?"

"I can't go back yet, because my life is still at risk."

"I understand. But how about your sister? I'm sure she's very sad right now."

"I know, but Cagalli is strong. I'm sure she can handle this." Even thought Kira said that, he was still worried about her. But he knew that Miriallia and Athrun would take care of her until he returns. "Please wait for me, Cagalli," he muttered softly.

_Hangar_

Shinn, Dearka and Yzak were at the hangar, checking out the mobile suits. At least two of them were, because one of them was busy searching for a certain girl.

"Where is she?" Dearka asked as his eyes wandered around the place.

Yzak got rather annoyed at him. He lightly hit his head and yelled at him, "What the hell are you doing?! I thought we're here to observe the MS and not to look for girls!" He folded his arms and stared angrily at his blonde friend.

Dearka rubbed his head before answering. "I'm looking for Miriallia Hawe... I didn't get to see her last time on my day off."

"Miriallia Hawe, who is she?" Shinn asked.

"She's the girl of my dreams."

Shinn and Yzak sighed. It was no surprise for them, since they knew Dearka was a certified playboy.

"So what does she look like?" Shinn said.

"She's really cute. She has short brown hair and aqua eyes. I think she's the CIC officer assigned to the Archangel Ship."

"I see..." replied Shinn, who seemed to have noticed a girl that matched Dearka's descriptions well. "Is that the girl you're talking about?" He pointed a finger out at a certain direction.

Immediately Dearka turned to the direction where Shinn was pointing. And when he saw the girl of his dreams, his lips curved into one big goofy smile. "That's her! That's really her!" he shouted. He approached Miriallia in a blink of an eye, much to Shinn's and Yzak's surprise, and greeted her. "Good morning, Hawe-san!"

Miriallia looked at him, taking note that he was a ZAFT soldier because of his uniform. She saluted him properly as a form of courtesy. "Good morning. You must be one of the bodyguards of Rey Za Burrel."

Dearka nodded. "That's correct. I'm Dearka Elthman. I am very pleased to meet you, Miriallia Hawe."

"How did you know my name?"

"Um... Somebody told me... Yeah, that's right!"

"Okay, well... what do you want from me?"

"I was wondering if you would... um... well you see... I kind of..."

"Look, I still have some things to take care of, so please excuse me..." She slightly bowed her head and walked away from him.

"Wait a second," he said, grabbing her arm at the same time. When Miriallia turned back at him, he found tears in her eyes. "You're crying..."

Miriallia swiped her arm away and ran out of sight, leaving Dearka in a state of shock.

**To be continued...**

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JC: The end of chapter 12. Honestly, I don't know how to start with the next chapter. I'm going to read other fanfics to get more ideas into my head. Until then, please be patient with me. Please review and no flaming!


	13. Healing of the Heart

JC: When I compare Gundam Seed and Destiny, I like Seed far better. At least, Seed is not as confusing as Destiny. The story is really messed up for me. But I've grown to love the characters in Destiny as well. Rey is a very interesting character for me, as well as Shinn, but I never liked Gilbert from the start. Well, I still watch it anyway, because I'm a big fan of the Gundam Series.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled **

Phase 13: Healing of the Heart

Jean was at the Cliffside, waiting anxiously for her brother. She scanned around the area to look for some clues, but unfortunately she couldn't find anything after searching hard. She stared down at the sea, where Kira had fallen, and indeed the bottom was full of rocks and the current was strong. But she didn't want to admit that Kira was dead, not after what she heard from Rey and the chairman.

She heard a car pulling over. She turned around and saw her brother getting off the car. "Finally, I've been waiting here for an hour! What took you so long, Nii-san?!" she reprimanded him with her hands on her waist.

"What have you found out about the head representative?" Athrun immediately asked, since he didn't want to answer his sister's pointless questions.

Jean's face became depressed as she fiddled with her fingers. "Nii-san, you see... Kira-sama was..." She took a deep breath and blurted out, "Kira-sama was killed by Rey Za Burrel."

Athrun gasped at this, surprised to hear that a good friend of Cagalli killed the representative. That explained why Rey hasn't visited Cagalli after the Kira incident. He was too ashamed to face her.

"It's very hard to believe, right? Well, that's what I've heard," Jean said.

"Why? I thought Rey is... Why did he kill Kira?" Athrun was starting to feel angry inside. He clenched his fists as he fixed his eyes on the ground.

"Nii-san, don't blame it all on Rey-san. The chairman is behind it too. He was the one who ordered Rey-san to kill Kira-sama."

"What?!" Athrun retorted. "Let me guess, the chairman ordered Rey to eliminate Kira in order to gain control of ORB, right?"

Jean nodded. "But I don't think the military and the officials will let him be the new representative, because Cagalli-san is still there. Since Cagalli-san is the sister of Kira-sama, she is the rightful person to be in that position."

"Then Cagalli's life is in danger. I'm not going to let Rey harm her." He was about to run towards his car when Jean stopped him.

"Rey will never harm Cagalli-san."

"And why is that?!" He glared at her with furious emerald eyes.

Jean got a bit intimidated by this. "Y-you see... Rey-san is madly in love with her. He wants to marry her for crying out loud! Kira-sama was against their engagement, which is one of the reasons why he killed him. With Kira-sama out of the picture, the chairman could easily manipulate Cagalli-san into marrying Rey-san."

"If Rey really loves her, why did he do it? Why did he kill the most important person to Cagalli?" He gritted his teeth as his thoughts drifted back to his princess. Gradually, his heart calmed down, knowing that Cagalli was still in pain. "I better go back now. Cagalli needs me right now."

"Nii-san, please take care of her."

"Of course I will... I love her so much, you know."

Jean smiled, knowing he was sincere with his words. "I know that very well." She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nii-san, there's still something you need to know about Kira-sama... He might be alive. I've heard it from the chairman himself."

"Kazuya also believes that as well."

"I'll try to find out more about this. I'll also inform Miriallia-san about this too."

"I'm counting on you, Jean." With that, he hopped into his car and dashed off into the road instantly.

_HQ_

After changing into her military uniform, Cagalli went to headquarters. There, she was promptly greeted by the soldiers, even though they felt rather sad for her. She could tell by their faces that they were extremely worried for her. She was pleased by this, but her heart was still shattered.

She walked into the clinic, hoping to see Jean's smiling face, but she was nowhere in sight. "Where is she?" she asked. She decided to go to Miriallia instead. When she arrived at her room, she found her good friend seated comfortably on her bed, with a pale face. "Miriallia, are you all right?" She felt worried for her. She sat down beside her and touched her hand.

At that, Miriallia suddenly hugged Cagalli. "I can't believe he's gone!" she yelled out as tears fell from her blue-green eyes.

"Miriallia," she said faintly. She hugged her back, knowing the pain she felt deep inside. She tried to comfort her. "Please stop crying... Kira wouldn't want to see you like this."

Miriallia gently pulled herself away to face her blonde friend. "I just can't help it, Cagalli."

Cagalli took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped Miriallia's tears away. "Crying like this won't bring Kira back to us," she calmly said.

"I understand what you're saying." Miriallia tried to hold back her tears from falling.

"You know, I was crying non-stop before too. I know how much it hurts to lose someone very dear to you. But we can't change the fact that he's gone. We might as well accept it." Cagalli smiled at her, even though she wanted to cry.

At last, Miriallia smiled back. She held onto Cagalli's hands and squeezed them gently. "Thanks..." she spoke in a mild voice.

_Room_

In the bodyguard's quarters, Dearka was walking back and forth perpetually, looking like a total moron, while Shinn and Yzak watched him. He was worried about Miriallia, the girl of his dreams. Her sad face plagued his mind. He had the desire to comfort her, but how? He could always tell her jokes to make her laugh, yet he knew she wouldn't laugh. He scratched his head in frustration, trying to think of a way to handle her.

"Dearka, if you're so damned worried about her, why don't you just talk to her?" Shinn suggested as he sat up on his bed.

"Shinn's right," Yzak agreed. "Besides, you're kind of giving me headache watching you walk back and forth like a mindless idiot."

"What if she'll ignore me?" Dearka asked.

Yzak shrugged. "Dearka, I know you're one persistent guy when it comes to girls. You won't stop pestering them until you know their problems."

"That's right, but then again... Miriallia Hawe is different from other girls." Dearka ran his fingers through his blonde hair. From his past experience with girls, he could tell that Miriallia would be a difficult one to handle.

_Mansion_

Rey saw Cagalli walking with Athrun, and felt jealous in an instant. He knew Athrun also had deep feelings for Cagalli. He was his biggest rival. "I won't let that bodyguard have Cagalli. I'm not going to let him."

Meanwhile, Cagalli and Athrun were talking about their childhood experiences. Cagalli was enjoying telling Athrun about the time she almost destroyed the base with a mobile suit. At that time, she wasn't fully trained to operate a Mobile Suit yet. She laughed out loud at the thought of it.

Athrun was pleased to see Cagalli laughing and smiling again. A smile was best suited for her, because it made her more beautiful. He didn't want to see a sad and crying Cagalli ever again. But he was having trouble telling her what Jean told him. He decided to wait for the right time to tell her.

"Hey, Athrun!" she yelled near his ear. Her voice was enough to make him deaf.

"W-What is it?" he asked.

"You were spacing out. It seems like you were thinking about something."

"It's nothing... I was just wondering where Jean is." He made up an excuse.

"That's right... I haven't seen her today."

Frankly, Athrun knew his sister was working hard in investigating about the assassination. His sister might be a total pain and nuisance to him sometimes, but he could count her on in the most critical situations.

_Beach_

Kira walked along the shore, admiring the beauty of the sea as well. A calm breeze blew passed him, carrying with it a gentle voice that was singing a song. He followed the voice, leading him to a girl dancing around. From his point of view, she looked like an innocent angel. Her blonde hair reminded him of his sister. "Cagalli... How is she doing right now? I want to see her..." he muttered under his breath.

When the girl stopped dancing, she looked at the representative with a smile. "Hello there! You must be the guy that Murrue-san picked up."

"Huh?" he muttered, feeling shocked at what she said. "How did you know that?"

"Didn't you know that I'm living with Murrue-san?"

"You are? I didn't know."

She approached him and extended her hand to shake. "I'm Stellar Loussier, the niece of Murrue-san," she introduced herself.

He shook hands with her and began introducing himself. But he immediately got cut off by Stellar. "You're the Head Representative of ORB, Kira Yamato, right?"

Kira simply nodded his head at her.

Stellar twirled around twice before she ran towards the water. "It feels so good." She looked back at Kira and waved her hand. "Why don't you join me?"

"I'll pass."

But Stellar won't take no for an answer, so immediately she splashed water at Kira.

"Hey! Look, I'm all wet," he said as he looked at himself.

"Don't you think its fun?" She giggled like a little girl.

_"Don't you think its fun?" _Those words played back in his mind. He had heard Cagalli saying those exact same words when they went to the beach during the holidays. 

**Flashback**

_Kira and Cagalli were at the beach, playing volleyball. Being the athletic type, Cagalli was showing no mercy to Kira. Luckily, Kira was the ultimate coordinator, so his reflexes were fast as well. _

_"You're good, Kira," Cagalli yelled out as she hit the ball, sending it towards Kira. _

_Kira bounced the ball back to her. "You're good too, Cagalli," he said. _

_When they got tired, they decided to rest for a while. It was a tough game, but it ended up in a tie. They sat on the warm and soft sand while facing the sea. _

_"I just love the beach," Cagalli said as she stretched out her arms. _

_"It's very peaceful here, unlike in the city," Kira said. _

_Cagalli stood and pulled Kira up. "Why don't we go for a swim?" she asked. She instantly dived into the water and popped her head out of the water. She waved a hand her brother with a big smile. "Kira, why don't you join me?" _

_"I'll pass." _

_Suddenly, Cagalli splashed Kira with water. _

_"Hey! Look, I'm all wet now!" _

_She giggled and winked an eye at him. "Don't you think its fun?" She then splashed more water at him, inviting him to join her in swimming. _

**End of flashback**

"Kira-sama, are you okay?" Stellar asked him, poking his chest.

Kira snapped back to reality. Realizing what Stellar is doing, he immediately backed away from her and told her that he was fine. "I was just thinking about my sister," he replied.

Stellar placed a hand on her cheek. "If I'm not mistaken, your sister is Princess Cagalli, right?"

"Yeah... I'm worried about her."

Stellar's face turned serious after that. "Why don't you go see her?" She took a few steps forward until she was an inch apart from Kira.

Kira glanced at her, noticing how her expression changed. "My life is still at risk."

"I didn't mean that you have to show your face in public." Her smile was back on her face, but this time it was an assured smile.

Kira realized what she meant so he agreed with her. "I may need your help, Loussier-san."

"Just call me Stellar and sure, I'll help you out."

**To be continued...**

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JC: I love Stellar-chan. She's so cute! Why did she have to die in Destiny? She's one of my favorite characters. But Cagalli-sama still reigns supreme for me! Reviews are much appreciated. Please don't send me flames.


	14. Deceit

JC: I just bought a new Cagalli poster. Her pose is so cool there! I love it. I wish there was a Miriallia poster too, because she's my one of my favorites. Well, I managed to finish this one in two hours, though I got a headache afterwards.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cagalli, Miriallia, Kira, Athrun and the other GSD characters.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 14: Deceit

Rey decided to show his face to Cagalli, after days of grieving in the sanctity of his room. His heart still carried the heavy guilt for killing the one he treated as a friend all his life. Somehow, he wanted to be free from that burden and he believed that Cagalli might be able to help him. As he stood in front of her bedroom door, he raised his hand to knock, but he hesitated to do so. He was afraid, afraid of seeing her sad face.

"What should I do? How can I face her?" He asked these questions several times in his head. At the moment he was in conflict with himself. Not knowing what to do, his mind was full of confusion. He remembered the words of his uncle, ordering him to kill Kira, and the words of Cagalli, telling him that she doesn't love him. It struck him hard. It was like having a knife pierced through his heart. "I can't face her. I can't face the sister of the one I killed. I'm too pathetic. I'm not worthy of her time."

"Rey, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice called his name. He maintained perfect composure as he turned his head to face the person. His eyes softened as they met the person's golden-brown eyes.

"Rey, are you all right?" she asked him, feeling concerned for her friend. She had noticed how pale and depressed Rey looked.

Unexpectedly, Rey hugged Cagalli and began crying on her shoulder. He was releasing every pain he held in his heart. "I'm so sorry, Cagalli. I'm sorry."

"What are you saying? Why are you apologizing to me?"

Rey pulled himself away from her. The second he saw her face, he quickly ran off in another direction.

"Rey!" she called him, but he didn't look back. "What's wrong with you?"

Rey kept running through the hallways until he bumped into Jean.

"Hey! Watch where you're go..." The young Zala clamped her mouth when she realized that the person she bumped into was Rey. As a sign of respect, she immediately saluted him. "Please excuse me, Rey Za Burrel."

"It's all right," he replied despondently and walked passed her. Jean noticed the sad look on his face and wondered what was wrong with him.

Meanwhile, Athrun was out investigating the case of Kira's assassination. He was at the scene of the crime trying to find some clues. Much to his utter disappointment, he can't find anything except for little blood stains on the grass. He hopped into his car and drove off. During his ride near the beach, he spotted a beach house from afar. He pulled over at the said place, hoping he could ask some questions to the owner of the house regarding about Kira.

Murrue was having coffee at the terrace while admiring the calm sea, with the wind blowing through her hair. At that point, her eyes spotted a car parked beside her house and a man standing right next to it. "Who could that person be?" she asked herself.

Athrun knocked on the door, and soon a woman opened it and greeted him at the same time. He looked at the woman carefully, because she seemed familiar to him. After a few seconds, he finally found out who she was. "You're Captain Murrue Ramius of the Archangel Ship," he said. He immediately saluted her and introduced himself.

Murrue giggled at his reaction. "I am pleased to see you remember me, 1st Class Crewman or should I say Lt. Athrun Zala now?" she said.

"It's really been a while, Captain. How are you?"

"I'm fine and I see you're still doing well as a soldier of ORB, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"So, what brings you to this place?"

"I'm presently investigating about Representative Yamato's assassination. I have found out who the suspect is, but I need evidences to prove it."

Speaking of Kira, Murrue wondered if Stellar was taking good care of him. She did leave Kira in her hands. She remembered Kira telling her that he was going to see Cagalli, which was making her a little worried. "About the assassination…" she said with a smile. "Is the suspect Rey Za Burrel, Lt. Zala?"

Athrun gasped at what he heard. "H-how... How did you know that?" He certainly remembered not telling anyone about it, yet the captain knew.

Murrue turned serious as she heaved a deep sigh. "If you want to know, then please come in. I have a very long story to tell you."

_HQ_

Using Murrue's ID, Stellar and Kira easily infiltrated ORB Headquarters. Because they disguised themselves as military technicians, wearing hats and jackets, they were able to walk around the place freely. Even so, they were still careful.

"It's my first time here in HQ," Stellar said, looking around like a curious little girl. For a girl at her age, she still acted cute and lively.

"We must go inside," Kira told her as he headed off first. "I believe Cagalli is there."

"Wait for me, Kira-sama!" she yelled out.

Kira immediately clamped her mouth with his hands. "Sshhh! Please don't say my name. I don't want anyone to know that I'm here right now."

Stellar quietly nodded her head.

Making their way inside the office, they found Cagalli talking to Jean in the hallways. Quickly they hid themselves out of sight and observed them. They were close enough to hear their conversation.

"Have you seen your brother?" Cagalli asked. She was wondering where Athrun was, since she hasn't seen him this morning at the mansion. She was hoping that Jean would know.

But Jean shook her head as she said, "No, I haven't." Frankly, she just lied, because she didn't want to let Cagalli know that Athrun was actually investigating the assassination.

Cagalli sighed. "Well, I have to go now," she said. "Please excuse me…"

"Um... Cagalli-san... Are you all right now?"

"Jean, I told you to call me only Cagalli."

"Oops, I forgot." She giggled as she stuck out her tongue. Her expression then turned serious as she looked at the princess again. "You know, I was worried sick about you, and Nii-san too."

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Cagalli, are you feeling any better now?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better."

Even though Cagalli said that, Kira could clearly see it in her eyes that she was still in pain. As her twin brother, he kind of felt what she felt. It was a brother's instinct, as he may call it. "I want to hug her right now," Kira muttered as he clenched his fist.

Stellar placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from his eagerness. "You can't reveal yourself to the princess just yet."

"I know... I know..." Kira looked back at his sister. He guessed that Cagalli must have cried a lot after his disappearance. He never wanted to hurt her and to make her cry. But things just came right at him without any warning.

_Beach House_

"What did you say?!" Athrun yelled out as he rose from the chair with eyes wide as marbles. "Kira Yamato is alive?!"

Murrue had just explained to Athrun how she found Kira and took care of him while he was unconscious. And because of what she heard from the news, she hid Kira from public and took him to her beach house, which was isolated from the city. It was the perfect place to hide him since not many people knew the place.

"Why didn't you contact headquarters?"

"I know very well that Kira-kun's life was at risk," she calmly responded. "I can't afford him to get hurt again."

"You got a point there. So, where is the representative now? Is he here?"

"No, he's not here."

"Where is he?"

"He's at HQ, because he wanted to see his beloved sister."

"What did you say?! Why didn't you stop him, captain?"

"Don't worry, my niece is with him. She'll take care of him."

"I hope you're right."

After getting the necessary information he needed from the captain, Athrun left the beach house and headed back to HQ. He had to find Kira as soon as possible.

_Office_

When Rey entered the office, he saw Gilbert sitting comfortably in the chair that once belonged to Kira. He was looking through files and reports of ORB. He was rather enjoying his work, making Rey feel disgusted. He walked over to him and saluted. "You called for me, sir?" he promptly said.

"Ah, Rey... Finally you're here. I have something very important to tell you," Gil started as he wore a smirk on his face.

"What is it?" Rey asked, getting impatient.

"With Kira Yamato out of the way, you can marry the princess anytime you like."

"She won't marry me. She doesn't love me the way I do."

"Rey... Rey... Rey, you don't understand. Since Kira-kun is dead, the position of head representative will be handed down to her."

"But I thought you wanted this position."

"And to do that, you must wed the princess."

"I already told you! She doesn't love me at all!" Rey slammed his palms hard on the desk.

Gil laughed sinisterly. "Rey... With my power, I can make her do anything I want."

"If you harm her, I'm going to kill you!"

"Don't worry... I won't harm a single hair on her head. She's very essential to my plans. Besides, she's your only happiness, am I right?"

"She's everything to me."

Outside the door, Jean had her ear against the door as she listened to Gilbert's and Rey's conversation. After hearing everything, she quickly went back to her room and found Miriallia there.

Jean crossed her arms as she dropped herself on the bed. _She's everything to me. _Rey's words played back on her mind, making her think differently about him. "Rey really loves Cagalli-san," she said without thinking. She rose from bed and approached Miriallia, who was currently reading an e-mail from Athrun. "What did Nii-san send you?" she plainly asked out of curiosity.

"Athrun just informed me that he went to Captain Ramius's house by the beach," Miriallia replied without taking her eyes off the monitor screen.

"Isn't Captain Ramius the captain of the Archangel Ship?"

"That's right..."

"Wow! Nii-san just met her! I want to meet her too." She went fan mode again.

"We've got better things to do, Jean. So, what did you find out this time?"

Jean turned serious as she heard that. "Cagalli-san is the rightful person to be the new representative, right?"

"Of course… And that's because she's Kira's sister. Why do you ask?"

"Chairman Dullindal plans to take over the position by using Cagalli-san. He's going to force Cagalli-san to marry Rey!"

"I can't believe Chairman Dullindal. Well, he's capable of doing that. We have to stop him before that happens. I better tell this to Athrun." Miriallia started typing a message for Athrun. She was hitting the keyboard pretty hard and fast.

_Next day_

Gilbert paid Cagalli a visit in her mansion. He was currently seated in the living room, explaining certain things to the blonde princess. Standing by his side were his bodyguards, Shinn and Yzak.

Shinn observed how Cagalli's facial expression changed to a sad one once the chairman told her that she was going to be the new head representative. He, too, wondered about the sudden death of Kira, leading his suspicion to the chairman. When Kira Yamato died, he noticed how happy that chairman looked. What was that supposed to mean? Was the chairman actually glad that Kira Yamato was gone? He eyed the chairman skeptically. He also remembered the time Rey arrived home late. He saw Rey holding a gun in his hand and he had a pale complexion. He tried asking Rey some questions at that time, but he just ignored him. He had a strange feeling that Rey and the chairman might be responsible for Kira's death.

Cagalli wasn't too sure if she could handle the job of Head Representative. Even though she was a good commanding officer in the military, she had no knowledge in politics. She tried telling the chairman that, but the chairman was being persistent and reasonable with her.

"I believe you can do it, princess. You are the daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha after all and he was once a great leader."

"My father is great, but not me. I was trained to be a soldier, not a politician."

"Your brother is gone now, so you have no choice but to take the position."

"I know that very well, Chairman Dullindal."

"Princess, if you want, I can help you." He was now smiling. His plan of taking over ORB was going very smoothly. All he needed now was to get Cagalli's approval in which he was sure of. "Princess, let Rey take over the position."

"That's impossible."

"It will be possible if you two were to get married."

"M-married?!" Cagalli gasped. She totally opposed to the idea. She didn't love Rey and yet, the chairman insisted on it.

"Princess, Rey would make a fine leader," he added, making it more difficult for Cagalli to decide.

She was left with no choice. With Rey's leadership, she trusted that ORB will be well. So with a heavy heart and mind, she told the chairman, "All right, I'm going to marry Rey for the sake of ORB."

With that answer, Gilbert couldn't be happier.

**To be continued...**

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JC: I just have to stop here. I've got to save the thrilling parts for the next chapter. I just totally hate Gil. I'm beginning to like Rey more and more. Oh well, just don't forget to review me. Don't flame me and my story.


	15. Reunion

JC: In the previous chapter, Cagalli agreed to marry Rey for her country. What will Athrun do if he finds out? Gilbert is totally taking control of the whole situation. He's really despicable. I feel sorry for Cagalli here. She's being forced to marry Rey. This is not good. Please read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 15: Reunion

It was happening too fast. It was like fate was against her. In less than a week, she was going to marry her best friend. She didn't expect this too happen. She didn't want to, but she must. It was for the sake of her country.

Her face was buried in her hands as tears flowed down her cheeks. She thought of ending her life, but that would make her a coward. She wanted to be brave, yet it was very difficult. "I don't know what to do anymore," she wailed. She walked out of her room, taking deep breathes along the way. She passed by the living room and saw Athrun there. Instantly, she ran to him and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered into his ear.

Though he was dumbfounded, he stayed silent. He simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. He slowly brushed through her soft golden locks, as the sweet aroma of her shampoo entered his nose. He felt her heart pounding against his chest. He could feel the tension deep within her. It was sad to see her distressing state. He succeeded in protecting her physically but failed mentally.

She cried again, releasing all the pain she had.

It was unbearable for him to see his loving princess crying over and over again. It wasn't her fault. She was crying, because all her happiness in life was fading away. In order to restore her cheerful self, Athrun, with no hesitation at all, told her something important.

"Your brother is alive."

Cagalli paused as she heard that. She raised her head and faced him with a skeptical look. "Please don't joke like that, Athrun. You know very well that Kira is dead."

He held her petite shoulders. "Cagalli, please believe me..." He looked at her seriously. "Kira Yamato is still alive."

"Stop it! Kira's dead!" she retorted, covering her ears, blocking away his words. She didn't want to listen to him anymore.

"You're only saying that because of the facts. Tell me, what does your heart say?"

She stopped to listen to her heart. She closed her eyes, focusing at herself deeply. Her memories of Kira flashed through in a second, making her heart pound louder and faster. Hearing her brother's voice in her mind, she felt like he was still there with her. Vastly, she began to hear another heart beat. She smiled as she realized it belonged to her brother. She clamped her lips, astonished from what she had learned. She almost cried. She hugged her bodyguard again, thanking him in the process.

His cheeks turned red, the minute he felt her breast being pressed against his chest. He wanted to tell her that, but as he saw Cagalli in her cheerful state again, he decided to keep quiet.

Gently, she pulled herself away and twirled around like a little playful girl. When she faced him again, she asked, "How did you know that my brother is still alive? More importantly, where is Kira right now?"

"When I went to investigate at the scene of the crime, I spotted a beach house that belonged to Captain Ramius. The captain was the one who found Kira by the shore after he fell from the cliff. The captain nursed him back to health and protected him. The next thing she told me was..." He was cut off by a familiar voice, belonging to a purpled-eyed guy who just entered the room.

"That I went here to see Cagalli again, because I missed her so much."

Cagalli couldn't believe her eyes. She was seeing her brother standing right across the room very alive and well. She was filled with overwhelming happiness in an instant. She couldn't hold back her feelings. She began to cry. "Kira... I-I..." Not another word, she went to hug him dearly. "Kira! Kira!" She wept on his shoulder as she trembled tremendously.

Seeing the siblings back together again brought contentment to his mind. He was lucky enough to bump into Kira, while he was looking for him. Now that Kira was back, Cagalli would be back to her old self, he thought silently.

A light tap came to his shoulder, bringing himself to face a blonde-haired girl with magenta-colored eyes. "What is it... um...Stellar, right?"

Stellar nodded. "That's right! You know, when you suddenly pulled Kira-sama away, I almost punched you. I'm very sorry for that." She bowed her head to apologize.

"It's all right," he replied.

Stellar shifted her eyes at Cagalli. "As I expected, Kira-sama's sister is so cute." She clasped her hands together as she smiled.

Miriallia and Jean arrived at the mansion a few minutes later. After receiving a call from Athrun, informing them that Kira was alive, they couldn't wait to see him again. When they went into the living room, their eyes widened as they saw the representative standing beside Cagalli.

"Kira, is that really you?" Miriallia said, slowly approaching him with eyes full of concern.

Kira smiled at her. "Yes, it's me, Milly," he replied.

"I can't believe it!" Miriallia embraced him, because she was overjoyed to see him again. She thought that she had lost her dearest friend. But there he was, alive and smiling again. Her eyes got filled with tears in a mere second. "Kira, it's good to have you back."

He wiped her tears with his thumb, gently rubbing her cheeks, and brushed through her honey-brown hair with his hand. He told her not to cry anymore for he was back for good, never to leave her and his sister again. It was a promise.

Jean went over to Athrun's side and asked him for the full details on how he found Kira. She was eager to know.

"I'll tell you all about it later, Jean," the older Zala told his little sister.

"Tell me now!" she demanded.

"Jean now's not the right time for this."

"Okay... okay... Nii-san, I got it." She puffed her cheeks and folded her arms.

_Rey's Room_

Rey thought long and hard about Gilbert's intention. Although he liked the idea of getting married to Cagalli, it still bothered his conscience. He was going to marry a girl who doesn't love him back. He understood Cagalli's feelings. Marrying her won't make her happy and it won't make him happy as well.

"If I go through this, Gil will rule ORB. It would mean the end of this country. I want to stop him, but I..."

He still wanted to have Cagalli after all, and for that, he was willing to do anything. Her heart will never be his, he was aware of that fact. But at least he could attain her soul and body. He was tempted to help Gil until the wedding. "I will make her mine whether she likes it or not."

Standing outside Rey's bedroom door was Shinn, who was currently listening to Rey talking by himself. For the past few days, he had been observing Rey, because of his suspicion. During at that time, he found out that Rey was behind Kira's death and the chairman was planning to take over ORB.

"I better tell this to the princess right away," Shinn muttered under his breath.

Without delay, he headed to the mansion in his motorcycle at a high speed. He was almost chased by the cops, but he managed to ditch them. As he reached the said place, he barged into the living room, only to be surprised seeing Stellar and Kira there. "What the... so you're still alive, Kira Yamato?" He pointed his finger at Kira.

Stellar recognized Shinn and immediately greeted him with one big smile, making him blush.

"S-Stellar... It's nice seeing you again." His voice softened when he faced her.

"The feeling is mutual, Shinn. I didn't know that you're a ZAFT soldier." She looked at him from top to bottom, thinking how cool he looked in his red ZAFT uniform.

"Um... Yeah..." he answered nervously, looking a bit awkward while scratching his head. "So, what brings you here?"

"I escorted Kira-sama to this place, which reminds me..." she said as she narrowed her gaze. As she reached for Shinn's arm, she instantly locked it in her hands. "You're not supposed to know that Kira-sama is alive."

"Wait... I can explain... You see I just found out that Rey and the chairman..."

"Killed the representative and plans to rule ORB," Athrun continued for him. "We all know that."

**To be continued...**

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JC: This story is nearing the end. Shinn will be joining the others in foiling Gilbert's plans. I really enjoyed writing Kira's and Cagalli's reunion. I'm a big fan of the twins. They're just too adorable. There are 3 more chapters to go. Please send your reviews. No flames!


	16. Truth Revealed

JC: Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm flattered that a lot of people are reading this simple story of mine. I've edited this chapter a bit. I've noticed that there were so many errors on it. Please tell me what you think of this chapter after reading it, okay? Please read and enjoy your time.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 16: Truth Revealed

Kai was also informed by Jean about Kira being alive and Cagalli being happy again. He practically rejoiced in full spirit. He planned on seeing the princess after his work and maybe confessing his feelings for her.

"Are you sure about that? Nii-san is also in love with the princess," Jean reminded Kai, after listening to his profound words of love.

Kai nodded his head for he was sure. He didn't care if Athrun loved Cagalli too. He didn't want to keep his feelings lock up any longer. He was going for it.

As Kai left, Jean's face turned depressed. She had loved Kai, admired his kindness, his thoughtfulness and his friendliness. But he had regarded her only as a friend and nothing more. "Kai, I know I can never be in your heart, but I will still love you no matter what."

Meanwhile, Miriallia was out spying Rey Za Burrel in his stroll through the powdery white sand of the beach. It was risky, but she volunteered to do it. As a trained soldier, she followed him carefully and steadily. Cagalli had told her about her dinner date with Rey, and she understood Cagalli's feelings. Yet, she still felt sorry for Rey. It was hard on him. "Rey, to be alone now, you must be suffering," she spoke in a low voice while looking at him.

Dearka came into sight as he approached the blonde coordinator. The ZAFT soldier, feeling concerned for Rey, tried to relieve him by inviting him to hang out with him. He assured him that it will be a blast! Although, his attempt was reasonable, Rey refused his offer. "You can't just mope around here," Dearka told him. "Why are you sad anyway? I mean, you are getting married with the girl you always loved."

"She may become my wife, but she will never be mine," Rey responded in a solemn voice. He sat down on a big rock, took his eyes off of Dearka and shifted it to the view of the sunset.

"Rey... I think I know how you feel," Dearka added. "I saw this girl and I fell in love with her. She's hot, cute, and has a kind face. I said to myself, _this girl is the girl of my dreams, _soI always find ways to court her, to show her how I feel about her. But every time she sees me, she either blows me off or ignores me. Maybe because she's sad about Representative Yamato's death, and from what I've heard, she's a close friend of his."

Hearing this, Miriallia realized that Dearka was talking about her. As she remembered correctly, Dearka had always been nice to her, always showed her a big goofy smile, and told her jokes most of the time. However, she's didn't find time to get to know him or just laugh at one of his jokes. She acted kind of cold towards him. "Dearka, I didn't know that you were so affected…" she murmured.

Rey got interested in Dearka's story. He was actually listening to him.

Dearka continued, "Sometimes I feel jealous, because Yamato is getting all her attention. I can't blame her since she knew Yamato long before me. But it would be nice if she would smile back at me."

"Dearka, who is this girl you're talking about?"

"She's Miriallia Hawe."

"I see... She's one of Cagalli-san's friends. I know her too. She's very kind, but hard to get. Just give her time to heal her heart. After that, make your move."

Dearka smiled. "Thanks, Rey..."

Somehow, Miriallia lost the will to spy on Rey. Rey's and Dearka's words touched her heart, almost bringing tears to her eyes.

_Mansion_

Athrun, who was standing beside the window, gazed at the beautiful scenery of the garden and the sight of Cagalli sleeping peacefully under a tree. Until now, his feelings for the princess haven't changed a bit. He still loved her with all his heart. "Cagalli, I love you and I want you to know that, but I..."

"You still didn't tell her, huh?" a familiar voice broke into his thoughts, startling him a bit.

"Representative Yamato…" He turned to Kira and saluted. "The plan is going smoothly as we expected."

Kira lightly laughed. "You don't have to be so formal and please call me Kira," he said. "And you didn't answer my question."

Apparently, Athrun heard that and tried to change the subject. But seeing that Kira was interested in knowing, he briefly shook his head. "No, I didn't," he answered disappointedly. "Even if I did, my love won't be returned. She's the princess and I'm just a bodyguard. Our levels are too different."

"That is nonsense," Kira replied. "So what if she's the princess? She's still an ordinary girl, which is just special to ORB. You know, you're the kind of guy I want for my sister."

"I'm rather honored to hear that from you." Athrun shifted his glance back at Cagalli. "Kira, I'm afraid of her reply." He lowered his head, showing a hint of sadness.

"If you don't express your feelings now, you'll regret it someday."

Kira was right. However, Athrun found it very hard to confess. Love wasn't always easy, especially for him. "I know..."

_TV Station_

Gil was preparing for a speech to be broadcasted live around the world, including the PLANT. He gathered his papers, containing the necessary information to be announced. He called Rey through his cell phone and ordered him to come to the station. After that, he gave instructions to the TV crew, not to mention his bodyguards, Yzak and Shinn, as well.

"Shinn, Rey is going to arrive any minute, so be sure to bring him here quickly when you see him."

"Yes, sir!" he said before saluting. He exited the room to wait for Rey at the entrance.

Stellar approached him to inform him about the present plan. Understanding that, Shinn briskly nodded his head. "If everything goes well, the chairman will be kicked out of his position," she said, showing a lovely smile.

Shinn blushed, but he managed to maintain his composure. "Yeah...I'm sure of it," he said, almost stuttering. "And I wish you luck. Don't get in trouble, okay?"

"I won't," she replied before she took off. She went straight to the control room and when she opened the door, she was confronted by several men, who had perverted thoughts. They tried harassing her, but unfortunately she beat the crap out of them. She was no damsel in distress. She was stronger than she looked. "I'll take over the controls for a while." She walked over to the monitor and pulled a seat. She placed the headphone over her head as she changed the settings and switches. When everything was set, Stellar contacted Athrun, Kira and Cagalli, and told them that she was in position.

Rey arrived in his limo a few minutes later. As he got off the car together with Dearka, he saw Shinn by the entrance. "Shinn, take me to the chairman," he said when he approached the bodyguard.

"Okay, just follow me Rey." Shinn took him to the room where Gil was. "Here we are..." he said as he opened the door, letting Rey in.

_Mansion_

Kai stood before the large gate of the Athha estate, constantly pressing the door bell. The butler's image appeared on the monitor and asked him for the reason of his visit. He quickly told him that he wanted to see the princess.

"I am sorry, sir, but Lady Cagalli is not here at the moment. She went out with Lt. Zala and Miss Hawe a while ago. Please come back tomorrow. Good day to you." With that, the butler shut down the monitor.

Kai sighed. "She's out... That's too bad. I wanted to see her." He held onto the gate as he looked at the mansion with a sad look in his eyes. He leaned his temple on the gate while his hands rattled it. "Cagalli..." he murmured.

_TV Station _

And they were going on live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, the lights flashed on as the cameraman focused the camera at the chairman along with Shinn and Rey by his side. He started explaining about the present conditions of both ORB and PLANT, which gained the people's attention.

"It's almost time to put the plan into action," Shinn thought with a grin, as his eyes focused at the chairman.

Rey, on the other hand, was deep in thoughts—thoughts of regret and pain. An idea crossed his mind, which will lead to his uncle's downfall. But he had no intent of exposing him because of the consequences. He didn't want to risk Cagalli's life.

The chairman finally reached the conclusion part of his speech, the part where he was going to inform ORB that Rey will take over the position as Head Representative and he will become the future husband of their beloved princess. He spoke only a half of it, because an unexpected interruption occurred.

"What happened?!" Gil asked furiously. He shifted his gaze to the television screen and saw the image of Cagalli. Presently, she was the one being televised live throughout the world. He had a very bad feeling about this, so he ordered Yzak to stop her.

Yzak, for the first time, refused to do so. He purely smirked at the chairman, giving him an I-know-what-you-did look to simply intimidate him.

"How dare you Elite Officer Joule?! You can't do this!" Gil told him off.

"If you mind, please shut up and listen to the princess now," Yzak responded coldly.

Cagalli started speaking. "I am Cagalli Yula Athha, daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha. As you've heard from Chairman Dullindal, Rey Za Burrel is going to be my husband and the future leader of ORB. I will marry him for the sake of ORB, for I cannot take the responsibility as head representative. I am still too inexperienced for that. I believe Rey will make a great leader like the Chairman."

It was hard to believe. The Chairman was astonished. For a minute there, he thought that Cagalli had found out about her brother's assassination. He sighed in relief, seeing it wasn't the case. "She's actually helping me finish my speech."

"But, there is something you must know..." Cagalli lowered her voice as she clasped her hands together.

Gil was starting to feel nervous, because of her sudden change of expression, and the same goes for Rey too.

"I have no intention of marrying Rey Za Burrel to fulfill the chairman's schemes. I have found out about the Chairman Dullindal's true intentions. All along, he had planned to take over ORB by using me and his nephew. To show you the proof, my brother here, Head Representative Kira Yamato, will explain everything."

Her last line surprised everyone, especially Gil and Rey. As Kira showed up on screen, he greeted ORB pleasantly.

"But how?" Gil said, turning his head at Rey, as narrowed his gaze at him. "I thought you killed him!"

Rey didn't pay attention to him. He was too shocked and happy to see his friend back. He felt light-hearted seeing Kira again.

_To be continued... _

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JC: Gilbert has been exposed! I wish I could see the look on his face when he saw Kira Yamato. This reminded me of an episode in GSD. Okay, please review! No flaming!!


	17. Heart's Desire

JC: This is the second to the last chapter. It's getting exciting! As promised, this chapter will have AsuCaga moments! Are you ready? Well, please read on. I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny, never did, never will.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 17: The Heart's Desire

Rey stared at the screen with wide eyes, surprised and happy to see Kira alive. "Kira-sama... I'm so glad..." he said in a low voice.

Gil pushed Rey against the wall and shot him a deadly glare. "I thought he was dead. Why is he alive, Rey?!" he exclaimed, not knowing that the people were staring at them.

The door flew wide open all of a sudden, and the two turned their attention to the door and saw Cagalli, Kira and Athrun.

Releasing his nephew from his grasps, Gil took a few steps back as his eyes focused on the twins. "Darn it..." he mumbled.

Cagalli pointed a gun at him. "Hold it right there, Chairman Dullindal!" She narrowed her eyes at him, as she placed pressure on the trigger.

Gil felt nervous, intimidated, but he faked a smile. "It seems you caught me, Princess."

"I can't believe you would do such a thing to my brother. You even used your own nephew to do your bidding. You're despicable."

Kira had always thought of the chairman as a model leader. However, seeing the current chairman at the moment made him so disappointed. "We won't let you get away with this." He turned to the two ZAFT bodyguards, Yzak and Shinn, who were standing by the door. "Please arrest him," he commanded them.

Shinn and Yzak smirked. "With pleasure..." they said in unison.

When the chairman was taken away, Rey approached the twins hesitantly. "Kira-sama, Cagalli-san, I-I..." He couldn't look at them in the eyes. He didn't even know what to say. He made a big mistake. He had betrayed their trust.

Kira placed a hand on Rey's shoulder as he showed him a kind expression. He wasn't furious at Rey. He understood everything about Rey's actions and his true intentions. "It's okay. I know the chairman only forced you," he said.

Rey was pleased to hear that. "Thank you, Kira-sama," he said. He then faced Cagalli with a faint smile on his lips. "Cagalli-san... I'm sorry if I didn't tell you. I'm sorry for making you sad."

Cagalli clenched her fist, feeling a little bit mad at Rey. Unexpectedly, she punched Rey on the face. "You idiot!" she yelled as she shed tears. "How could you do such a thing? Kira is your friend and you almost killed him! You made him suffer, you made me suffer!"

Rey held his swollen cheek, sensing the pain he received, and lowered his head to hide his face from her. "I'm so sorry, Cagalli-san."

"Well... that's that!" she said in a cheerful voice, which surprised Rey.

Rey looked up at her and saw her angelic face. It was then he realized that Cagalli had also forgiven him. His lips curved into a handsome smile, feeling guilt-free at last. "Thank you..." he muttered as his charming blue eyes remained focused on her.

_HQ (After 3 Days) _

The Space Shuttle leaving for PLANT was all set. The shuttle was only waiting for Rey and his bodyguards to board it. They were presently bidding their goodbyes and thanks to their friends. They were going to miss ORB a lot, but they were planning on coming back if they have the time.

"Rey, please promise me that you'll visit again soon," Cagalli said as she held Rey's hand.

Rey nodded his head. "Yes, I will."

"Now that you're the Chairman, make sure you do a good job," Kira told him as he patted his shoulder.

"I will do my very best. Kira-sama." After that, Rey walked up to the shuttle, slightly waving his hand at the twins and boarded it.

Dearka was having trouble saying goodbye to Miriallia. He had scratched his head in frustration a couple of times already, trying to find the right words to say.

Miriallia was staring at him with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Are you going or not?" she asked him, raising a brow. "If you don't hurry up, the shuttle will leave without you."

Dearka chuckled. "It's just that... I... I"

Miriallia sighed. "You're so weird!" she blurted out without a care, making Dearka feel bad. She noticed the change in his sad face, the face she saw one time at the beach. She remembered it very clearly.

_"Sometimes I feel jealous, because Yamato is getting all her attention. I can't blame her since she knew Yamato long before me." _

Dearka's words played back like a recorder in her mind, making her think differently of him. She had been ignoring him ever since she met him. She wanted to do something nice for him to cheer him up.

_"But I would be pleased if she would smile back at me." _With those words, she finally found an answer. Gradually, she leaned forward, bringing her lips near his cheek. She let out a slight giggle before landing one sweet peck on his cheek.

Dearka's face flushed up, turning redder than a red Christmas bulb. He faced Miriallia with a surprised look and his eyes grew as wide as marbles. He was completely dumbfounded. "WH-what... What was that all about?!" he nervously asked her.

"It was my way of saying I'm sorry." Miriallia's voice softened as she started speaking. "I'm really sorry for ignoring you all this time."

"It's because you had a lot of things in your mind. That's okay for me."

"Really?" replied Miriallia with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that." Her smile widened more.

Dearka couldn't believe his eyes. He was finally seeing her smile, a genuine smile. Her smile was the one thing he desired the most from her. In his excitement, he started telling Miriallia some compliments, which turned out to be downright annoying.

"You're so funny... It's too bad we didn't get the chance to be close friends," Miriallia said in a low voice.

"We can be friends now!" Dearka told her in lively tone.

"But you're going away. When will I see you again?"

"Don't worry, I promise to visit you next month. Is that okay?"

"That'll be great. Just don't break your promise."

"I won't."

After that, Dearka boarded the ship. As he seated himself beside Rey, he sighed in relief, because he was so happy. He held his cheek, where Miriallia kissed it, and gently caressed it. "I will never forget this day," he murmured.

Yzak was currently looking for Shinn, who had been missing since the shuttle arrived. He was getting frustrated. "Ah! Where's that idiot?!" he mumbled, shifting his head from left to right. He went to the parking lot, hoping he would find Shinn there. He scanned around the place, carefully looking at each car. And then finally he found Shinn standing beside a red car. The black-haired coordinator was apparently talking to Stellar. It seemed like the two of them were having a pleasant conversation, which irritated Yzak more. He marched up to them and pulled Shinn to his side.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing, Yzak?!" Shinn exclaimed as he hauled his arm away from Yzak.

"Don't you know what time it is, you moron?! It's time to leave!" Yzak retorted.

"Ah... What?! It's time already? But I haven't..." Shinn gradually turned his head back at Stellar, looking disappointed.

Stellar showed him a cheerful smile in return. "Shinn, we'll see each other again, right?"

"Yeah, we'll see each other again," Shinn replied. "I'll make sure of it."

"Shinn, we're going to leave without you!" Yzak groaned as he walked away.

"You better hurry up, Shinn," Stellar said.

"I'm really going to miss you, Stellar," Shinn told her in a low voice as his cheeks turned red like his eyes.

"I'll miss you too, Shinn..." She then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

Shinn's face turned all red. He didn't expect to be kissed, so it was a complete surprise for him. "Um... I don't know what to say, but thanks..." He scratched the back of his head as he smiled awkwardly at her. "Well, see ya, Stellar…" He spun around on his heels and walked past Yzak as quickly as he could..

"Hey! Shinn, wait up!" Yzak hollered as he followed Shinn.

Stellar watched the two coordinators walking away until they disappeared from her sight. It was then when a drop of tear fell from her magenta-colored eyes. She felt a little lonely. She wanted to stay by Shinn's side forever. She had grown to like him so much. _"Yeah, we'll see each other again." _She recalled what he told her and smiled. "I will wait until then, Shinn."

After Shinn and Yzak boarded the shuttle, it immediately took off for space.

Cagalli watched the shuttle leaving the atmosphere from the observation tower, as her bodyguard stood right next to her. "A lot of things happened since Rey came here, huh?" Cagalli said with a deep sigh.

"I'm just glad everything turned out okay," Athrun added.

"You're right..." she replied as she shifted her eyes on Athrun. A faint shade of red appeared on her cheeks as her eyes softened. "Athrun... I want to say thank you for all your help. You were always by my side to support and comfort me. I'm so glad you became my bodyguard."

"Cagalli... For you, I would do anything." He was speaking in a soft and caring voice.

"Huh? What did you say?" She didn't quite catch what Athrun was saying to her, since he suddenly lowered his voice.

But Athrun merely shook his head and said, "It's nothing…"

_Next Day_

The sun was up, the skies were clear, and the breeze was cool. Since it was such a perfect day, the twins and the Zala siblings decided to visit Murrue Ramius's beach house. There, they were immediately entertained by the captain and Stellar.

"Stellar, let's go for a walk," Jean said, looking a little bored, as she got off the couch and stretched out her arms.

"Okay, let's go!" Stellar said excitedly. She immediately stood up and grabbed Jean's wrist. "We can walk barefooted by the shore." She removed her slippers and told Jean to remove her slippers as well. When Jean took off her footwear, she immediately ran off, dragging Jean along with her.

"Stellar is really energetic," Murrue said, letting out a soft giggle, as she raised her cup of coffee. "I wonder where she gets all that energy. I rarely see her tired."

"By the way, Murrue-san, when are you planning to come back to the military?" Kira asked the former captain of the Archangel Ship.

"Soon... My vacation is almost over," Murrue answered before sipping her coffee. She shifted her eyes at the blue-haired coordinator who was currently staring at the love of his life. Thinking of an opportunity, she told Kira to help her in the kitchen as an excuse, so Athrun and Cagalli could have some time alone.

The blonde princess was presently looking at the fishes swimming in the aquarium. "Hmm... I want to swim," Cagalli said as she turned to her bodyguard. She was about to invite him to go swimming with her when he suddenly touched her cheek with a gentle hand. She was quite surprised at this. "Athrun, why-what..."

"Cagalli, I wanted to tell you this a long time ago, but I didn't have enough confidence back then," Athrun started, feeling nervous, as he removed his hand from her cheek.

"Athrun, what do you want to tell me?" Cagalli looked at him, curiosity written all over her face. She waited anxiously for the coordinator to speak, thinking of what he might tell her. For some reason, her heart pounded like crazy.

**To be continued...**

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JC: Next chapter is the final one. Of course, there will be more Athrun and Cagalli moments there! That will be a treat for AsuCaga fans such as myself! What do you think of this chapter? I hope it was good. Please review! Don't forget it! No flaming also!


	18. Love Fulfilled

JC: Yes, this is it! This is the final chapter! I want to thank my loyal reviewers first for supporting me on this story. I can't believe I managed to finish this despite my busy schedule in school. This story is my tribute to Athrun and Cagalli. I will truly support them forever, even though things didn't go well for them in the series. Let's get on with the story, shall we? Will Athrun finally confess his love for her? How will Cagalli react to that? If you want to find out, then read on...

Disclaimer: I don't own Cagalli, Athrun, or any of the characters in GSD. I only own Jean and Kai here.

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**Love Fulfilled**

Phase 18: Love Fulfilled

"Athrun, what do you want to tell me?" Cagalli asked her bodyguard who was looking at her intensely. She somehow had a funny feeling building inside of her. Tension was brewing and her heart was pumping way faster than usual, making her more nervous.

Athrun bit his lip, because he was being hesitant. He can't help feeling nervous. It wasn't that easy to confess to the girl you love. He was trying to find a way to say it smoothly and calmly. However, despite being a calm person most of the time, he was sure panicking inside. He had to admit that he wasn't an expert when it comes to love and romance, and it was a fact only known by his younger sister.

"I'm running out..." Before Cagalli could say another word, Athrun spoke up all of a sudden, much to her surprise. "Cagalli, I love you."

Her heart skipped a beat in an instant. Those three words were nothing new to her. But since it came out of Athrun's mouth, she felt dumbfounded. "W-what... What did you just say?" Her eyes grew wide as she clamped her lips. She never expected him to say those words.

"Cagalli, I love you. I have always loved you since the day I saw you." He was being true to his words. His feelings for her were all true. He loved the princess more than anything.

"I-I don't know... what to say..." Heart swirling in motion, she stood up and turned around, showing her back to him. "I'm really... shocked to hear that." It was her first time to have a guy confessed to her. And it wasn't just some any guy. It was her bodyguard and her good friend.

His eyes softened. "I want to know if you feel that same way about me." He lowered his head, because he was afraid of hearing her answer. He wondered what it would be like to be rejected. He had never experienced it before. But he knew it was painful.

At the same time, Kira and Murrue were keenly listening to them from the kitchen like a pair of snoops. "I hope your sister says yes," Murrue said as she crossed her fingers. She was rooting for Athrun all the way.

Kira nodded. "I'm not even sure if Cagalli loves him back. What do you think?"

"From my point of view, I think..." Murrue winked an eye and smiled.

Cagalli clasped her hands together, as she felt her pounding heart. The emotions inside her made her confused. She felt really awkward. She knew he was waiting for her answer. But what was she supposed to say? She had no idea what to tell to the guy.

At this point, Athrun figured that her silence meant no. "I understand, though it hurts a little... I understand your feelings." He sighed, looking depressed, as he stood. He was about to walk away when…

"Athrun!" she called out his name as suddenly hugged him. "Athrun, I love you! I love you too." She looked up at him, showing him a beautiful smile on her face. "I don't know how or when... Maybe it's because you're kind and you've done so much for me." She started shedding tears as she leaned her head on his chest.

"I'm so glad to hear that." Athrun hugged her back and brushed his hand through her golden locks, as a smile came across his face. His love was returned. He wanted to celebrate and party all night as if he won the lottery or something. He then pushed her away gently to look at her face. He wiped away her tears with his finger, taking the pleasure of touching her smooth face. He held her hand, feeling the warmness it had, as her amber eyes cleared up. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

Feeling the sensation going through her body, she deepened the kiss more as her hands crawled around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.

"Wow... this is a moment that'll never forget," Kira muttered, feeling relieved, though he also felt kind of jealous.

Murrue giggled sweetly. With the confessions and the kiss, Murrue wished she could be as young as them again.

_HQ (3 Months later) _

"I'm so bored," Jean complained, slouching down on her chair. She was currently writing her a report that was due tomorrow. She didn't like writing stupid reports. As usual, Jean was being lazy again.

"Jean, less talk, more action..." Miriallia said strictly.

"Yes, I know..." Jean continued quietly as she mumbled some curses about the report.

Cagalli and Athrun, with hands entwined with one another, stepped into the office, looking pleasantly as ever. They had been going steady for months now. At first, they had struggled to adjust with one another. After all, being a couple was not easy, especially if you have jobs in the military. It was amazing how they managed to balance their hectic schedules.

"Nii-san! Oneesama!" Jean exclaimed as she bolted out of her chair. She marched over to her brother and gave him one big bear hug.

"Um... Jean... I can't breathe..." Athrun's lungs were literally gasping for air.

"Oops!" She quickly released him and giggled like a sweet and innocent little girl. "I'm sorry about that." She scratched the back of her head, feeling a little embarrassed.

"It's okay," Athrun replied gruffly.

"So what brings you two here?" Jean questioned the princess.

"Oh... nothing... We were getting bored back at the mansion, so we decided to come here," Cagalli answered as she seated herself on a chair.

"How's Kira?" Miriallia asked.

"He's working non-stop again."

"By the way, I've received an e-mail from Dearka yesterday. He told me that he'll be visiting me next month. I'm so excited." Miriallia was saying this with an awkward yet cheerful smile. She, even though she won't admit it, had been looking forward to seeing Dearka again.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't tell me you're falling for that guy?"

Miriallia suddenly blushed. "Um... No... Dearka's my friend and of course, I would like to see him again, because I like him as a friend."

"Hmmm... I don't believe you," Cagalli teased her, a mischievous smile plastered on her face.

"Oh, please Cagalli... stop it." Miriallia lowered her head to hide her red face from her friends.

Jean, Athrun and Cagalli laughed at her cute and funny reaction.

Then Cagalli patted Miriallia's shoulder and said, "You two will make a great couple. I just know it."

"Cagalli, hold on a sec... He's just my friend for now." Miriallia wasn't even sure if she had feelings for the tanned-guy. She merely thought of him as a friend at the moment. If she wanted a boyfriend, maybe she'll reconsider.

"I'm just telling you this just in case you become his girlfriend."

Miriallia frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Just don't play matchmaker when he gets here okay?"

Cagalli crossed her arms and pretended to be pissed. "That's boring..."

"Please Cagalli..." Miriallia made a puppy pout to convince the princess. As usual, it worked on her.

"Okay... I won't play matchmaker," she said. Unknown to Miriallia, Cagalli actually placed one hand behind her back and crossed her fingers at same time she said those words.

_Beach_

Stellar walked along the shore, wearing her beach attire. She scanned the sands for seashells for her collections. When she grew tired, she sat down on the warm sand, facing the beach, as the wind blew passed her face.

"It's such a nice day, but why do I feel so down?" she said, looking fairly depressed. Her thoughts had drifted with the wind as she hummed a sweet and loving tune.

Unexpectedly, she began thinking about Shinn. She missed him so badly. She wanted to see him again. Of course, she planned on paying him a visit in PLANT, but she can't just leave her Aunt Murrue at the moment. She deeply sighed as she sank her head between her knees. "Shinn... Shinn..." she muttered under her breath.

_Hangar_

Jean was looking for Kai in the Hangar, because she hasn't seen him lately. She spotted his mobile suit and went to check it out. As she peeked into the cockpit, she the guy she was looking for. "Kai!" shouted Jean so he could hear her. When Kai turned his head at her, she immediately waved a hand.

"What do you want?" Kai questioned her coldly. Obviously, he wasn't in the mood, but that didn't stop Jean from approaching him. She dragged him out of the cockpit to talk to him properly. "I don't want to waste my time talking to you," Kai said, giving her an icy stare.

Jean put on an irritated face as she crossed her arms. "What's with you today, Kai?! Don't tell me that you're letting out all of your anger at me just because I'm Athrun Zala's little sister?"

Kai gritted his teeth. He hated hearing that name. "No, it's just that..." He had to admit to himself that he was jealous of Athrun.

"You're still hurt, right? The wound in your heart hasn't heal yet, am I right?"

"Stop asking questions!" he demanded. He sat down on the floor and ruffled his brown hair with his hands. When he thought of Athrun and Cagalli, a hard knot of jealousy tightened in his stomach. He realized that he wanted to be the guy for Cagalli badly.

"I'm sorry." Jean leaned her back against the wall and stared at the floor. She didn't want to see his fuming blue eyes. She knew how scary he could be when angry.

"But you're right though... My heart is still in pain, because I love the princess so much. When I found out that Athrun and Cagalli were engaged, I almost committed suicide." He tried to laugh it out, but his eyes still looked depressed.

"Cagalli has chosen my brother, because she loves him."

"I know and I'm happy for her. I know that I can find the right girl for me someday."

Jean giggled. "Are you sure about that?"

"Who knows? The right girl might be you, Jean." He gazed at her with kind eyes that made Jean blushed.

"Um... erm..." Her words ended up in murmurs. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Let's emphasize on the word _might_."

"You can never tell, Jean..."

Jean smiled and fiddled with her fingers. She knew that Kai was joking on that matter. But as far as she was concerned, her feelings for Kai still remained loyal and true.

_Park_

They were sitting under a tree, licking their vanilla flavored ice cream they bought from a stand nearby. When Athrun turned to gaze upon the blonde, he noticed a tiny cream on her left cheek. He leaned forward and licked it off her face. Of course, his fiancée was taken by surprise with such a bold action.

"What was that for?" Cagalli asked, holding her cheek, as she blushed like hell.

"I just removed the cream from your cheek," he replied with a smile.

She blushed more and said nothing. She continued eating her ice cream as she eyed on the children playing on the see-saw.

Once finished, Athrun wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her closer to him. He placed his mouth near her ear and whispered, "I love you…"

Cagalli giggled, though she felt a bit self-conscious. She looked up at him, with the cheery glitter in her golden-brown eyes, and smiled radiantly. "I love you too."

Athrun kissed her on the lips, as she closed her eyes in pleasure.

They remembered how they first encountered. They bumped into each other in the mansion, because she was trying to get away from a maid. Certainly, Athrun was thrilled to meet her. Later, he was introduced to her as her new bodyguard and became good friends afterwards. Athrun had been so kind and good to her. He was ready to do anything for her, not only because he was a bodyguard, but because of his secret feelings for her. The next set of events was rather stirring for them.

Rey Za Burrel, as Athrun may put it, was a rival to Cagalli's heart. At first, he thought he had no chance against him, because he was Cagalli's childhood friend. But he was wrong about that. Sure, Cagalli did care for him, but she didn't love him.

After Kira's assassination, Cagalli experienced so much suffering. She cried for days with only her twin brother in her mind. Lucky for her, Athrun was always by her side to comfort her. From the act of kindness he showed, Cagalli realized how blessed she was to have a bodyguard like him. And at that time, new feelings started to emerge from her heart. She was falling for him.

Athrun always dreamt of being with the princess, and that dream came true one day when he was summoned by Kira Yamato. He was so pleased to be hired as her bodyguard. He considered it as a chance to bond with Cagalli. And so he did. Now, he was officially the princess's fiancé.

"My love was finally fulfilled," Athrun concluded with a smile.

**The End**

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JC: Love Fulfilled has finally ended. There are 18 chapters all in all. I would love to read your reviews and comments about this story. This was a memorable story for me. The plot just came to me randomly one day, and I just had to write it. I'm quite surprised that this turned out to be a success. This is my fanfic for AsuCaga! Please send me reviews. No flames!!


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